10:56 a.m. July 8, 2012
Some areas of Great Smoky Mountains National Park reopened following horrific storm damage
GATLINBURG -- Several areas of Great Smoky Mountains National Park were reopened Saturday evening following Thursday night's horrific storm accompanied by 80 mph winds.

The storm took the lives of two people inside the park. A 41 year old lady from Corryton, Tennessee died when a tree fell on her and 3 other people near the Abrams Creek Campground. A biker was killed when a falling limb struck him on the head. Other people who were inside the park when the storm hit were seriously injured and flown to nearby medical centers by helicopter while some were taken by ambulance.

National Park Service crews have worked consistently since last Thursday night's storm which caused damage inside the park. Image courtesy of Great Smoky Mountains National Park Service.

National Park Service crews are continuing to work through the weekend to clear roadways in the park.

Roads now open include the Cades Cove Loop, Laurel Creek Road into Cades Cove and the Little River Road from Elkmont to the Metcalf Bottoms Picnic Area. The Cades Cove Campground has reopened as well.

Other roads in the storm-damaged areas remain closed, including the Little River Road between Metcalf Bottoms and the Townsend Wye, the Rich Mountain Road, Parson's Branch Road and the Abrams Creek access road. The Abrams Creek Campground also remains closed.


5:00 p.m. July 6, 2012
Fatalities, Injuries and Storm Damage in Great Smoky Mountains National Park
GATLINBURG -- Heavy storms and damaging winds caused fatalities, multiple injuries, and lots of damage in Great Smoky Mountains National Park last night.

A motorcycle rider was killed on Little River Road approximately one-half mile east of the Townsend Wye. The biker, 50 year old Ralph Frazier from Buford, Georgia was killed when a falling limb struck him on the head. He died at the scene. A passenger on his motorcycle was not injured. The relationship of the two is not known at this time.

A large tree fell on 4 people at a popular swimming hole near the Abrams Creek Campground, off the Cooper Road Trail. Rachael Burkhart, age 41, of Corryton, TN was struck by the tree and was dead at the scene.

A 7 year-old girl who was swimming in the creek was hit by the same tree. She was unconscious when pulled from water and given CPR by bystanders. The father of the girl was struck by the same tree and sustained fractures to his vertebrae, multiple broken ribs and a collapsed lung. The girl's mother was also injured by the same tree. Her injuries are less serious. The child and her father were flown to UT Medical Center in Knoxville, and the mother taken by ground to the same medical facility. Their condition is unknown at this time.

Other injuries and medical emergencies included an individual who suffered cardiac arrest in the Cades Cove campground last night. A man was struck by tree at the Methodist Church on the Cades Cove Loop Road and suffered a back injury. Another man in Cades Cove was treated for an eye injury when a limb struck the windshield of his vehicle. All 3 of these injured individuals were taken by ambulance to Blount Memorial Hospital.

A severe thunderstorm hit the west end of the national park about 6 p.m. yesterday. There were high winds associated with the storm downing hundreds of trees on roads between Metcalf Bottoms and the Abrams Creek areas on the west end of the park. Damage extends from Metcalf Bottoms to Cades Cove to Abrams Creek.

National Park Service crews have swept all roads in storm-damaged areas to identify stranded motorists and those in need of medical attention.

There are several road closures inside the park:
• The Cades Cove Campground will remain closed until at least until Sunday evening.
• Lookrock Campground is closed.
• Little River Road is closed from Elkmont to the Townsend Wye.
• Laurel Creek Road
• Foothills Parkway West
• Cades Cove Loop Road
• Rich Mountain Road
• Parson's Branch Road
• Weir Gap Road
• Tremont Road

National Park Service staff is trying to locate folks who are may be in affected areas of the backcountry. All unoccupied vehicles along Little River Road and Laurel Creek will be checked and their owners accounted for. There are no reports of injured hikers or backpackers at this time.

Power remains out at Cades Cove; structural damage has not been assessed yet.

Individuals with reservations for the Cades Cove campground should seek other accommodations for the evening.

6:35 a.m. July 6, 2012
Severe Storms create multiple emergencies in Great Smoky Mountains National Park
GATLINBURG -- A severe thunderstorm swept through the west end of Great Smoky Mountains National Park at approximately 6:00 pm last night. The storm resulted in significant tree fall in a line stretching from Metcalf Bottoms, across Cades Cove, to Abrams Creek. There are multiple emergency incidents at this time and the situation continues to evolve.

There have been two confirmed fatalities as a result of the storm. A male individual was the victim of a motorcycle accident that occurred approximately ½ miles east of the Townsend Wye. A 41 year-old female in the Abrams Creek area was struck by a falling tree. Both victims have been identified and authorities are working to notify next of kin.

There are also reports of multiple injuries as a result of the storm. Ambulances were dispatched early this morning to Cades Cove for three injuries and one cardiac incident. Three individuals in the Abrams Creek area were also injured. One individual was transported to the hospital by ambulance and two others by helicopter.

There are currently many trees down on both the Little River and Laurel Creek Roads. One lane of each road has been cleared for emergency vehicles. The Cades Cove and Abrams Creek areas have also received significant tree fall. National Park Service crews have swept all roads in storm-damaged areas to identify stranded motorists and those in need of medical attention.

Emergency crews from Blount County are assisting National Park Service crews in the area of the Townsend Wye and at Abrams Creek. Priorities for National Park Service crews are to continue to get emergency personnel to individuals in need of medical attention and to evacuate those individuals from the park. Once this is accomplished, the need for overnight clearing operations will be evaluated. Rangers will continue to work today to ensure all visitors and staff are accounted for and begin to assess needs for emergency response in the park's backcountry.

11:50 p.m. July 5, 2012
Multiple Emergencies develop from storms in Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Winds up to 80 mph

Published July 5, 2012