Breaking Ground On Hope

On September 28, 2024, Hurricane Helene made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane. The intensity and size of this storm created an immense swath of damage across, destroying vast portions of the Virginia Creeper Trail. 446 days later, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, USDA Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz, joined other dignitaries to break ground in Damascus, Virginia,, for a project to repair trails, bridges, and roads destroyed during the storm. (USDA Forest Service Video by Preston Keres)