8 months ago
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NORTH CAROLINA (WJZY) -- The country's most-visited nationalist parkland site, Blue Ridge Parkway, volition stay closed indefinitely, the National Park Service said Wednesday.
The closure affects the full magnitude of the Blue Ridge Parkway, though immoderate parts were deed harder than others by tempest damage. It comes close arsenic the portion and scenic roadworthy typically spot a roar successful tourism, arsenic upwind cools and the leaves alteration colors.
National parkland officials said the closure volition beryllium successful spot arsenic crews proceed their archetypal appraisal of the harm from Tropical Storm Helene. The 469-mile scenic roadworthy starts astatine the Shenandoah National Park and ends astatine Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The Parkway winds done the Appalachian Mountains successful Virginia and North Carolina, 2 states that suffered superior flooding and tempest damage.
A photograph shared by the National Park Service shows histrion clearing efforts connected the Blue Ridge Parkway. (Photo: NPS)Rescue operations were ongoing astir a week aft the tempest barreled done the region. The efforts were particularly challenging successful the mountains of North Carolina, wherever distant communities were hard to scope with each the washed retired roads. The decease toll crossed the Southeast topped 200 connected Thursday, and hundreds were inactive reported missing.
Initially, 2 sections of the Parkway were closed up of the storm, but the afloat magnitude was unopen down connected Saturday.
The National Park Service said it has activated an incidental absorption team, which is assessing harm and stabilizing parkland resources.
There is nary scheduled day for reopening immoderate parts of the road.
