One Feather staff report
High rains on the evening of Tuesday, Dec. 8 and the morning of Wednesday, Dec. 9 caused parts of the Oconaluftee River to flood. The rains also caused downed trees and a mudslide in the Big Cove area.
According to Nancy Gray, Great Smoky Mountains National Park spokesperson, several roads within the park are closed due to downed trees including: portions of Little River Road between Townsend Wye and Metcalf Bottoms Picnic Area, Laurel Creek Road, Cades Cove Road, and Cherokee Orchard Road.
She also said a windspeed of 101 mph was recorded at the Cove Mountain Air Quality Station at 3am on Wednesday morning.
For more photos of the flooding,
https://www.nc-cherokee.com/onefeather/photo-galleries/?album=43&gallery=43
Picnic Anyone? Ducks were the only ones wanting to have a picnic as the Oconaluftee River flooded the Oconaluftee Island Park on the morning of Wednesday, Dec. 9. (Photo by Scott McKie B.P./One Feather)
A downed tree caused damage to this car traveling on Big Cove Road on the morning of Wednesday, Dec. 9. (Photo courtesy of Vita Nations - One Feather contributor)
High rains caused a mudslide in the Big Cove Community. (Photo courtesy of Vita Nations - One Feather contributor)
