A rainstorm washed out parts of the Porters Creek Road in Great Smoky Mountains National Park/NPS

A potent thunderstorm that dumped nearly 9 inches of rain on parts of Great Smoky Mountains National Park in a handful of hours washed out sections of roads and trails in the Greenbrier area of the park.

Following the storm Tuesday night the park temporarily closed roads, trails, and facilities in the Greenbrier area of the park to all motorists and pedestrians due to flood damage. Prior to Tuesday night's rainfall, which was measured at 8.72 inches, the area had received approximately 5 inches of rain over the last week, resulting in already saturated soils before the storm cell produced flash flood conditions along the Middle Prong of the Little Pigeon River.   

“We remind everyone to be mindful of weather forecasts and to be prepared with an emergency plan before heading out into the backcountry as these popup storms can cause the rivers to rise rapidly,” said Deputy Superintendent Alan Sumeriski. “Just last Friday, emergency responders from the park and Gatlinburg Fire and Rescue successfully rescued a 13-year-old boy from rising flood waters in the Chimneys Picnic Area. Please exercise caution when recreating near or attempting to cross rivers in the park.” 

Preliminary damage assessments from this week's storm include significant road washouts along the Porters Creek Road, culvert damage, and washed out footlogs on Ramsey Cascades Trail. The temporary closure includes all roads, Greenbrier Picnic Area, Greenbrier Picnic Pavilion, Ramsey Cascades Trail, Porters Creek Trail, and Backcountry Campsites 31, 32, and 33. Old Settlers, Brushy Mountain, and Grapeyard Ridge Trails will continue to be open, but hikers cannot access these trails from the Greenbrier area during the closure and should plan their routes carefully. Hikers should be prepared to turn around if they encounter high-water river crossings or damaged trail conditions along these routes.  

More information will be provided about the repair schedule after assessments are completed. For public safety and the efficiency of response operations, the area is closed to all pedestrians until further notice. For more information about temporary road closures across the park, please visit the park's closures and alerts webpage.