Gray Blazer
10-18-2006, 07:16
Heard on the news this morning ya'll had a big storm in the park. Somewhere nearby in TN measured 106 mph wind gusts. I imagine this created a few blowdowns. Hope everyone is safe.
Frolicking Dinosaurs
10-18-2006, 09:14
Link to local newspaper report (http://www.thedailytimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061018/NEWS/61018012) I've talked to friends in West Miller Cove, Walland, Townsend and Happy Valley (all near the southwestern Townsend entrance to the GSMNP) and they have limbs down and a few shingles missing.
I got this off another forum:
Date: October 17, 2006
SMOKIES FACILITY UPDATE ON STORM DAMAGE
Great Smoky Mountains National Park emergency personnel worked
throughout the day clearing roads of windfalls, evacuating campers,
and assessing storm damages created by high winds registering over 106
miles per hour. Damage was mainly restricted to the Tennessee side of the
Park. Public use areas in the North Carolina side of the Park were unaffected.
Roads that reopened late this afternoon included a portion of the
Little River Road at its junction with Newfound Gap Road (U.S. 441)
to the Elkmont Campground. The Gatlinburg Bypass, Greenbrier Road, and
Cosby entrance Road are open.
Roads that remain closed are Newfound Gap Road (U.S. 441) between
Gatlinburg, Tenn., and Cherokee, N.C. The Laurel Creek Road from
the Townsend entrance to Cades Cove is closed and the Cades Cove Loop
Road is closed. In addition, the Foothills Parkway East and West,
Cherokee Orchard Road, and Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail are closed.
Metcalf Bottoms Picnic Area along Little River Road is closed due to down
power lines and downed trees.
Two campgrounds on the Tennessee side are now open. A portion of
the Elkmont Campground is open; however campsites are limited due to
downed power lines in one loop. Visitors will have to access the Elkmont
Campground via the Gatlinburg entrance. The Cosby Campground is
open.
In addition, the five campgrounds in North Carolina are open:
Smokemont, Deep Creek, Balsam Mountain, Big Creek, and Cataloochee
campgrounds.
Campgrounds that are still closed are Cades Cove, Abrams Creek,
and Look Rock Campgrounds. Campers at Cades Cove and Elkmont were
advised to vacate today because of weather forecasts predicting continued high winds. A high number of campers left the campgrounds. There were
reports of two visitor injuries at the Cades Cove Campground due to
tree falls. Both individuals, injured in separate incidents, were
transported by ambulance to Blount Memorial Hospital and were
treated and released.
Park crews will continue clearing Park roads tomorrow. Little
River and Newfound Gap Road are the Park’s priorities. Preliminary
indications are that crews will be able to clear these roads for
reopening sometime tomorrow. Visitors can call the Park’s general
information number at 865/436-1200 to check on the status of roads
and facilities.
Park managers expect to find widespread damage along Park trails
but have not had a chance to evaluate the backcountry. Backcountry
campsite reservations were not being made today, but should resume on
Wednesday.
Backpackers and hikers should be advised of potential hazardous
conditions in the backcountry with downed trees potentially blocking
trails.
-NPS-
We are leaving out from Elkmont on Monday. I just called GSMNP and they said Cades is still closed. Nancy Gray out of the GSMNP said they are optimistic everything should be clear my Monday.