Chimney Rock, North Carolina, was one of the many places destroyed by Hurricane Helen. A ferocious flood flooded into the city, leaving the village in chaos with what was left behind.
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Lake Lure’s Rainbow Bridge, a memorial to lost dogs and other pets, is no longer there after being washed away during Hurricane Helen’s march across western North Carolina last month.
Rainbow Bridge, located southeast of Asheville, is part of the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge, a series of gardens and other features built on and around pedestrian bridges that cross the Broad River and connect the cities of Lake Lure and Chimney Rock. It was a club.
Rainbow Bridge in front of Helen. Note the Broad River in the background.
(Reprinted with permission from Lake Lure Flowering Bridge / FOX Weather)
The region received about 22.5 inches of rain from Helen between Sept. 24 and 28, according to the FOX Prediction Center. This caused the Broad River to swell, rising more than 15 feet and drowning its banks in mud and floodwaters.
“We lost everything,” said Lake Lure Flowering Bridge board member and volunteer Linda Landau. “We lost Flowering Bridge and we lost Rainbow Bridge to Hurricane Helen. It’s actually pretty devastating.”
“Personally, it would be worse.”
The Rainbow Bridge, once painted the colors of the rainbow and decorated with colorful collars and tags of animals beloved by humans, has now largely disappeared, replaced by brown mud and rubble. I am.
Leander himself had attached a collar to the bridge in memory of his long-haired dachshund, Georgia, who died at the age of 13. Georgia’s collar is now lost to Helen, along with other pet collars that were hung on Rainbow Bridge. .
“She was such a sweetie. So since I put her on that bridge, she doesn’t have a tag anymore. But you know, it was just a tag. I still have her and her other pups’ tags. I have a picture. We actually had two tags on there, our other dog,” Riandeau said. “It’s heartbreaking.”
Reindo is installing dog collars at Rainbow Bridge for visitors who have recently lost their dogs.
(Reprinted with permission from Lake Lure Flowering Bridge / FOX Weather)
Apart from the Rainbow Bridge, the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge and its gardens were also completely destroyed.
Leandeau said the Flowering Bridge, built in 2013, was a vehicular bridge that has been transformed into a volunteer-run botanical garden. Green spaces extended beyond the bridge, with 30 gardens and more than 2,200 flowers, trees and other plants on the banks of the Broad River.
One of these was the River’s Edge Dog Garden, which was managed by Leander. There were stepping stones in the shape of footprints, as well as a red fire hydrant and benches for the puppies and their humans.
River’s Edge Dog Garden in front of Helen. The Broad River can be seen in the background.
(Reprinted with permission from Lake Lure Flowering Bridge / FOX Weather)
These lush gardens were washed downstream during the Hellenic period, and the garden’s bright greens and berry colors were replaced by flood mud.
Mr Leandeau said the future of the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge and all its gardens, as well as the beloved Rainbow Bridge, was uncertain, especially as the footbridge across the Broad River was no longer structurally sound. he said.
He said the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge board will decide what the future holds, as the Lake Lure community and many other communities in western North Carolina are still reeling from the effects of Helen. pointed out that it was necessary.
The area where Rainbow Bridge and Dog Garden were located in front of Helen.
(Reprinted with permission from Lake Lure Flowering Bridge / FOX Weather)
“We ask that everyone keep Western North Carolina in their thoughts and prayers and continue to donate to relief efforts across the region,” Leander said. “The pictures are terrible, but it’s even worse in person.”
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Currently, the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge is in the process of being restored. Leandeau said they are not accepting new volunteers due to safety concerns and are instead limiting the number of people on site.
Instead, people are encouraged to stay up to date with the site through the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge Facebook page, Instagram account, and official website. You can also make a donation on the official Lake Lure Flowering Bridge website.
