Great Smoky Mountains slammed by winds and rain, causing road and trail closures
The same relentless rain that caused two landslides in western North Carolina is now blamed for flooding some of the most popular spots in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
High winds were also causing problems, knocking down trees across roads, said the park on Twitter.
Grandfather Mountain in western North Carolina posted Monday on Twitter that a record 124 mph gust occurred there around 12 a.m. Monday.
The Great Smoky Mountains warned part visitors Sunday on Facebook that “after a week of rain, many of our trails are experiencing severe flooding.”
“If you plan to hike in the Smokies, make sure to properly prepare for wet and muddy conditions, and check if your trail has any stream crossings that may prove hazardous.”
The post included photos of Cataract Falls overflowing its banks and sending water “gushing” over a nearby trail.
A series of roads were closed Monday through the Great Smoky Mountains due to the wind and rain, according to the Smokies Road Info page on Twitter. Among them is U.S. 441, the major east-west road through the center of the park, says the site.
Heavy rain in western North Carolina has also been blamed for two landslides.
One occurred Sunday morning when mud and trees fell across westbound U.S. 74 north of Sylva, not far from where the highway intersects the Blue Ridge Parkway in Jackson County.
The other happened Friday and continues to block all lanes of Interstate 40 at the North Carolina-Tennessee state line. The interstate is expected to remain closed until March 2, says the North Carolina Department of Transportation.
West bound traffic on US 74 was down to one lane Monday, headed northeast out of Sylva, said the NCDOT.
This story was originally published February 25, 2019 at 12:33 PM.