Helene: Arboretum embraces challenge, change in species

(The Center Square) – On the morning before Hurricane Helene hit western North Carolina in late September of 2024, Drake Fowler was already expecting trouble with the weather ahead.

The 434 acres of public forests and gardens had already been hit with 10 inches of rain the night before the hurricane hit, remembered the executive director of the North Carolina Arboretum.

“I was on the property at 6:30 that morning and saw that Bent Creek, which runs through the arboreum, was already basically at flood stage,” Fowler told TCS.

The arboreum was closed for the day and a safety protocol activated. Chainsaws were filled with fuel.

The next morning, Fowler and other employees had to go by foot into the arboretum, not knowing what kind of damage they would find as trees through the area were knocked down by Helene causing widespread power outages and other damage.

The damage at the arboretum, which is affiliated with the North Carolina University System, was massive.

“We lost 10,000 trees,” said Fowler....