forests destroyed by hurricane helene

Normally as emergency managers we think about the impacts of wind on what is called “real property” buildings, homes and infrastructure. If there is damage to the landscape it comes in different forms, but usually we think about trees that have fallen on houses and cars that need to be cleaned up and removed. What we might call “normal debris removal.”

With Hurricane Helene, there was an entirely different impact to the landscape, see this from the Washington Post Where the trees once stood  There are before and after pictures. What struck me was the “blow down” of trees. It reminds me of the impact of Mt. Saint Helen’s eruption that flattened forests.

Besides destroying the beauty of the mountains around Ashville, N.C. it will have a major impact of tourism for a generation or more. It will be a humongous task to try and clean up the forest and parts of the Appalachia Trail that is frequented by thousands of people every year. The link provided highlights of those challenges to the people and community who depend on tourism for their livelihood.