Blue Ridge Parkway closed in North Carolina ahead of Helene

 The entirety of the Blue Ridge Parkway is closed in North Carolina, the National Park Service said Thursday, in anticipation of severe weather from Hurricane Helene.

It will remain closed “until the storm passes, and staff can safely assess the park and clear any storm damage,” the park service said.

The Blue Ridge Parkway is a popular scenic route spanning more than 400 miles along the Appalachian Mountains. It passes through several states in addition to North Carolina, including Virginia and Tennessee.

Helene is forecast to grow into one of the largest storms in the Gulf of Mexico in the last century. The storm is forecast to make landfall in the Florida Panhandle before moving through Georgia and into East Tennessee and parts of North Carolina over the weekend.

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper warned residents earlier today that the storm would be “unusually dangerous” for western and central parts of the state.

A number of other national parks in Florida, Georgia, Alabama and South Carolina have also announced closures due to Helene.