Hurricane Helene Wreaks Havoc on River Community Including American Whitewater
Massive flooding, landslides, and wind damage related to Hurricane Helene has put western North
Carolina, southeast Tennessee and other parts of the region in crisis, and many in our river
loving community, including members of the American Whitewater staff and board have been severely
affected. Infrastructure including modes of communication and roads critical to deliveries of
essential goods have been destroyed and it may be some time before anything resembling normal
business returns to the area. This includes American Whitewater offices and some staff, so please
forgive us in advance if we are slow to respond or we can not be reached.
In the coming days we’ll be sharing ways our community from far and wide can help as those
avenues become more clear, and in the meantime we’re sending all the love and healing vibes
we can to our friends and family who are feeling the effects of the widespread damage to one of
the true homes to American Whitewater, and to one of the longest standing and influential
communities of river runners in the country. Our hearts are with you and we’ll be making
ourselves available to help in any way that we can.
Evan Stafford
Fort Collins, CO 80524