Hurricane Ian forces parts of Blue Ridge Parkway to close in North Carolina mountains
Multiple sections of the popular Blue Ridge Parkway will close Friday, Sept. 30, in anticipation of Hurricane Ian track through the North Carolina mountains.
Four sections amounting to 114 miles will be blocked off in late afternoon and will not reopen until midday Sunday Oct. 2, according to the National Park Service.
The parkway is narrow (two lanes) and winding, and is known to experience rock slides and downed trees during intense storms.
Ian began Thursday as a tropical storm, but was upgraded to Category 1 hurricane status (winds of 74-95 mph) when its sustained winds hit 75 mph late in the afternoon. It will make landfall in South Carolina Friday, then move farther inland over western North Carolina Saturday, according to the National Hurricane Center.
The storm caused widespread damage in Florida and remains “a large cyclone,” with storm-force winds extending 415 miles out from its center, experts say.
“National Park Service officials are closely monitoring the projected path of ... Ian and preparing for a range of potential impacts across the Blue Ridge Parkway,” the park service said in a news release.
“Visitors to the Blue Ridge Parkway should expect closures and use caution due to expected periods of heavy rainfall, flooding, and strong wind.”
Two to 4 inches of rain is possible in the mountains, along with “gusts upwards of 45 to 55 mph,” according to the National Weather Service office in Asheville, N.C.
The sections of parkway to close include:
- “Milepost 318 - 375.2 from Linville Spur Road to Bull Gap.
- Milepost 393 - 406 from the French Broad overlook to Rte 151 entrance (north side)
- MP 412.9 - 443 from Hwy 276 (south side) to Balsam Gap.
- MP 446 - 469 from Balsam Gap to southern terminus.”
This story was originally published September 29, 2022 at 2:39 PM with the headline "Hurricane Ian forces parts of Blue Ridge Parkway to close in North Carolina mountains."