Here is another first-hand account of the awful storm in the Great Smoky Mountains. Many thanks for David Reed, who is a certified storm spotter for sending this information:
We just got back this evening from a four-day stay in Townsend, Tennessee. The reports of damage in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park are staggering.
A park spokesperson was interviewed earlier today on WIVK Radio in Knoxville, which was covering the event. They are saying that damage is considerable in many areas, including Cades Cove, Newfound Gap Road, Metcalf Bottoms Picnic Area, Elkmont Campgrounds, and a host of others, all on the Tennessee side. The park was closed off entirely on the TN side when we left there this afternoon at 2:45pm EDT (Tuesday 10/17/06). Foothills Parkway, just west of Townsend, was also closed. Also, as of this afternoon, the damage assessment from Cades Cove was incomplete at best, as crews had only made it as far as the campground area. It is unknown as to whether there is any damage to any of the structures in the cove, although radio news reports indicated that there are literally hundreds of trees down, and that it just for Cades Cove.
Winds were clocked at 106 mph in many areas of the park. We had high winds in Townsend, as well. Reports of sustained winds over 65 mph, with gusts around 90+ mph were received in and around Townsend overnight last night. This event lasted from about 11:15 pm EDT till about 7:30 am EDT today. There were numerous cabins without power in the Townsend area this morning. Needless to say, we hardly got any sleep at our cabin, but we are alive, and made it back home to Shelby County tonight at about 8pm local time.
I remember Ivan coming through Central Alabama in 2004. The winds we experienced last night were much stronger and far worse than anything we experienced with Ivan.
God Bless,
David Reed, K4DFR
NWS Certified Severe Storm Spotter
BTW, I forgot to mention: Park Rangers report that the wind speeds recorded overnight last night and this morning are the highest winds EVER recorded in the history of the GSM National Park.
I talked to a Park Ranger at the "Y" intersection just outside of Townsend earlier today (where the road forks one way to Gatlinburg, and the other way to Cades Cove). He said that even the rangers weren't able to reach much of the damage this afternoon. They had called in all sorts of heavy equipment for moving and cutting large trees.
The road to Gatlinburg was closed at that time, just before we left the area.
David Reed
We just got back this evening from a four-day stay in Townsend, Tennessee. The reports of damage in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park are staggering.
A park spokesperson was interviewed earlier today on WIVK Radio in Knoxville, which was covering the event. They are saying that damage is considerable in many areas, including Cades Cove, Newfound Gap Road, Metcalf Bottoms Picnic Area, Elkmont Campgrounds, and a host of others, all on the Tennessee side. The park was closed off entirely on the TN side when we left there this afternoon at 2:45pm EDT (Tuesday 10/17/06). Foothills Parkway, just west of Townsend, was also closed. Also, as of this afternoon, the damage assessment from Cades Cove was incomplete at best, as crews had only made it as far as the campground area. It is unknown as to whether there is any damage to any of the structures in the cove, although radio news reports indicated that there are literally hundreds of trees down, and that it just for Cades Cove.
Winds were clocked at 106 mph in many areas of the park. We had high winds in Townsend, as well. Reports of sustained winds over 65 mph, with gusts around 90+ mph were received in and around Townsend overnight last night. This event lasted from about 11:15 pm EDT till about 7:30 am EDT today. There were numerous cabins without power in the Townsend area this morning. Needless to say, we hardly got any sleep at our cabin, but we are alive, and made it back home to Shelby County tonight at about 8pm local time.
I remember Ivan coming through Central Alabama in 2004. The winds we experienced last night were much stronger and far worse than anything we experienced with Ivan.
God Bless,
David Reed, K4DFR
NWS Certified Severe Storm Spotter
BTW, I forgot to mention: Park Rangers report that the wind speeds recorded overnight last night and this morning are the highest winds EVER recorded in the history of the GSM National Park.
I talked to a Park Ranger at the "Y" intersection just outside of Townsend earlier today (where the road forks one way to Gatlinburg, and the other way to Cades Cove). He said that even the rangers weren't able to reach much of the damage this afternoon. They had called in all sorts of heavy equipment for moving and cutting large trees.
The road to Gatlinburg was closed at that time, just before we left the area.
David Reed
on October 18, 2006, 9:08 am
Thanks for keeping us up to date.
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