USDA Forest Service releases update on Helene’s impacts on ecosystem, infrastructure
Black Mountain Campground on the Pisgah National Forest, Appalachian Ranger District. The bridge leading to the campground over the South Toe River was significantly damaged by Hurricane Helene. File photo
The USDA Forest Service released its preliminary data on the ecological impacts and infrastructure damage caused by Tropical Storm Helene on the Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests in North Carolina.
Using information sourced from satellite data, aerial surveying and on-the-ground assessments, analyses found that Tropical Storm Helene caused moderate to catastrophic damage to more than 187,000 acres of both forests (roughly 20 percent of the total acreage), including 117,000 acres of vegetation loss. The bulk of the damage occurred on the Pisgah National Forest, particularly in areas within Yancey, Mitchell, McDowell, and Avery counties, where several communities neighboring the forest were devastated by the storm. Two of the three districts on the Pisgah, the Grandfather and Appalachian Ranger Districts, remain closed while the response to the storm continues.
The loss of such a large portion of the ecosystem can have several negative effects, such as the threat of wildfire due to increased fuel levels, loss of vital wildlife habitat, impacts on watershed health and the higher potential for invasive species to thrive.
For the latest information on Helene-related closures and updates, visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/nfsnc or follow @nfsnc on Facebook.
