Rockslides Block Highway to Popular Tourist Spot in NC

This weekend, a major roadway leading to Blowing Rock, a well-known tourist destination in the North Carolina mountains, was closed due to a rock a slide caused by strong storms.

Photo byGetty Images

Just after 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, the slide blocked U.S. 321 in both directions, according to state highway officials.

According to a Facebook post by the Caldwell County Sheriff's Office, there are still "dangers of more falling rock" close to the Green Park Inn in Blowing Rock, which is why the route is still closed from Blackberry Road.

Over the course of the week, severe storms tore over the mountains and other portions of the state, producing two EF-1 tornadoes: one in the Rowan County settlement of Mount Ulla and another in the Wilkes County town of Wilkesboro. There were no reported injuries.

U.S. 321 will stay closed until 9 p.m. on Sunday, as per the state's real-time road closure map, Drive NC.gov.

Photo byCharlotte Observer

Images of the rock a slide were made public by the police, one of which had a house above it.

The nearby Green Park Inn's phone operator on Saturday stated that business has not been impacted by the slide. April of the previous year saw fewer reservations at the hotel than this month, she added.

The Boone, North Carolina, police department added a little humor to the closing on Facebook.

Boone Police commented, "Hey, at least it's not leaf season," in reference to the lengthy lineups of cars that travel mountain highways in the fall. "Could you imagine?"

According to highway officials, drivers who normally travel from Gaston, Lincoln, Catawba, and other southern counties to Blowing Rock on U.S. 321 should think about taking the following detour:

Proceed east on NC-18 to NC-16. After entering Boone, turn left onto U.S. 421 North, and then take U.S. 321 back toward Blocking Rock.

Source:

https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/state/north-carolina/article287653565.html