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More than a road

Aerial view of rockslide damage to I-40 post Hurricane Helene.
As Hurricane Helene devastated the Southern Appalachians, it brought a deluge of water that destroyed hundreds of miles of roads, from winding mountain roads all the way to interstate highways. Aerial view of rockslide damage to I-40 post Hurricane Helene. (Courtesy photo by Andy Ryan) When…
#Hurricane, #HurricaneDamage, #HurricaneRecovery, #Infrastructure, #Roads

All of us were affected

Image shows a mass of tree limbs and trunks and other debris piled on top of a stone bridge while a woman in safety gear stands nearby.
Hurricane Helene reached Category 4 before making landfall in Florida. (Image courtesy of NOAA) Only a month after the twentieth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, another anniversary comes due for a different catastrophic storm—it is the first anniversary after Hurricane Helene devastated the…
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Julio E. Nazario Ruiz honored for engineering excellence in disaster recovery

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Julio E. Nazario Ruiz was honored for his engineering excellence in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene and was awarded Technical Engineer of the Year in 2024. (USDA Forest Service photo by Dana Hodde) Disaster recovery can be a lengthy, complex process, especially when it comes to procurement. However, once…
#HurricaneRecovery, #HurricaneDamage

Going out on a limb

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Certified tree climbers such as Andre Fedotowsky, Daniel Boone National Forest, use limb walking and other techniques to maneuver throughout the entire tree canopy. (Photo courtesy of Anna Peyton Durham) When a dead limb or broken branch is hanging over a campsite and causing safety concerns…
tree canopy, #HurricaneDamage, #Hurricane, #HurricaneRecovery

Landowner outreach event aims at benefiting hurricane-affected communities

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Science Delivery Specialist Christine Martens gives introductory remarks for a packed audience at the Hurricane Helene Forestry event for landowners. (USDA Forest Service photo by Alyssa Briggs) NORTH CAROLINA — More than 250 members of the western North Carolina community, including many forest landowners…
#SouthernResearchStation, #HurricaneDamage, #Hurricane, #HurricaneRecovery

Around the Forest Service: December 2024

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WASHINGTON, D.C.—As we reflect on the year's accomplishments, we can be proud knowing we made a difference for people and communities. This year marked 60 years of providing the People's Tree, and Spruce Wayne, a 60-foot Sitka spruce, traveled an enormous distance to land on the west lawn of the U.S. Capitol. The Capitol Christmas tree will be lit nightly through Jan. 1, 2025. This year saw…
#Video, #CapitolChristmasTree, #HurricaneRecovery, #ForestLegacyProgram, #SmokeyBear, #Christmas, #ChristmasTrees