Along with last year's iconic Alaska Trip where I pointed out massive changes to glaciers, multiple wildfires, millions of dead trees, and other effects from climate change; this particular trip also had to do with climate change. For anyone who missed it, the trip started out in this edition here.
Gatlinburg, Tennessee was in the news last November due to a huge wildfire fueled by high winds and drought conditions; and I wanted to see for myself the aftermath. I have visited Gatlinburg many times over the years, so it is a special place for me and I wondered what was in store for me once I arrived. From many of the stories in the news, I surmised that most structures survived the fires and that damage was somewhat limited. What I noticed as I drove into Gatlinburg at first seemed to confirm those stories. I was driving on US 321 into Gatlinburg from Newport, Tennessee, when I saw the first major casualty of the fires; the Rodeway Skyland motel.
This motel usually greets me from up high on US 441 on my way south. Once in Gatlinburg, it was impossible not to see fire damage throughout the city and especially on ridges above the city. Scattered patches throughout the entire city have many buildings reduced to rubble. Many areas have been razed to the ground and rebuilding is going on throughout the entire area. Here are some pictures I discovered from Skyland from before the fires:
Notice in the picture below the large house up on the hillside behind the motel:
Now here is what it looks like today; notice the same large house on the hillside behind what's left of Skyland now:
Here's a closeup of the house on the hill:
Tomorrow I will show the area around another favorite spot.
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