More than one-third of the Appalachian Trail is currently inaccessible, let alone closed, with nearly all of that due directly to the devastating rain and flooding in north Georgia, eastern Tennessee, North Carolina, and western Virginia.
The Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC), whose mission is ‘to protect, manage, and advocate for the Appalachian National Scenic Trail’ and is perhaps the most staunchly supportive organization of the trail’s history and status, confirmed as much on Instagram Sunday afternoon.
As noted in the post, the ATC’s Southern Regional Office is located in Asheville, NC, which has become something of the epicenter of images of just how destructive the flooding and mudslides were in the wake of the 20+ inches of precipitation Helene dropped last week.
Look, hiking trails are awesome and the concept of providing a path for people to journey across one of the key spines of our great nation is undeniably beneficial to the greater well-being. Right now, though, the priority of fixing up those sections is so far down on the list of importance I can’t even find it. As the ATC notes, trail communities such as Damascus, VA, Erwin, TN, and Hot Springs, NC have been, in many instances, wiped completely off the map due to this historic and awful event, and finding ways to help those folks physically function today and rebuild for the future is and must be front and center.
First and foremost, stay off what was the existing trail. The storm forced closures of all National Forests in Georgia and North Carolina that the AT traverses, and foolishly attempting to route your own way through them will not only put yourself in peril but stretch the emergency personnel who would need to rescue you even thinner than they already are. The ATC has recommended that all those attempting to complete the AT postpone all plans for the southern section indefinitely.
Secondly – donate what you can to those most immediately impacted.
If you’d prefer to donate to an omnibus fund dedicated to hurricane issues across the entirety of the southeastern US, GoFundMe has not just created one, but also put up $60,000 of its own cash to start off the effort.
World Central Kitchen (WCK) has also had boots on the ground since the first available moment, and donating directly to them will help provide thousands of meals to those displaced by the floods, as well as to the emergency workers on-site helping them. Chef Jose Andres, founder of WCK, needs our help:
On a much smaller (yet still vitally important level), you can donate to Hope Mill Incorporated’s GoFundMe initiative. The Charlotte, NC and Hickory, NC based operations they are running are helping organize helicopter pilots to provide vital supply drops to those who have lost in and out access via roads. This fundraiser was brought to my attention (and verified) by Blue Ridge Public Radio.
The United Way of Southwest Virginia is spearheading efforts to help and rebuild Damascus and the surrounding towns.
RISE Erwin, a local non-profit in Erwin, TN area and Unicoi County of young professionals, has a GoFundMe dedicated to rebuilding Erwin that’s live. For more information on their work I’ll point you towards their Instagram account.
Donations to the American Red Cross will eventually help them in all of their aid efforts, though I’ve not found a way to donate directly to their work in this particular area (though rest assured they are 100% there). The same goes for FEMA.
I’ll refer you to the Asheville Citizen-Times and their article about how you can (and how you should not) go about helping those affected in the area. Bear in mind that despite however much desire you have to help, the infrastructure in the area – both the roads in and out as well as resources on-site to sustain those already there – are in an incredibly perilous condition. Instead of simply packing your car full of water and trying to drive it in, seek ways to aid and supply those who’ve already established their own pipelines.
Finally, if you’ve got a dollar left over after finding ways to donate directly to those communities most impacted, throw it to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy itself. When all is said and done, rebuilding and restoring the parts of the AT that have been destroyed will be a lifeline to help the communities that need rebuilding thrive and flourish, too. AT hikers drive millions in business each year to the restaurants, outfitters, and lodges in the towns near the trail itself, and failing to get the trail open and active as soon as possible will keep vital funds needed to breathe life back into these Appalachian towns on the outside looking in.
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