Blue Ridge Paddling: The Next Chapter After Hurricane Helene

Help Us Rebuild Blue Ridge Paddling – The Next Chapter After Hurricane Helene

It’s been seven months since Hurricane Helene tore through our community and devastated our businesses, Blue Ridge Paddling and Blue Ridge Taphouse, on the Nolichucky River. The shock may have faded, but the impact is still very real — we lost almost everything besides our rafts. The buildings, the equipment, the infrastructure we spent many years building — all were majorly affected, if not completely gone.

Since the flood, we’ve been doing everything we can to recover. Thanks to the incredible support from our community and the first round of fundraising, we were able to complete major foundational repairs to keep our building standing. For several months, our property was used as a debris staging area — a critical role in helping the entire community recover by providing a central location for cleanup efforts during the winter. Once the debris removal was complete, we could finally see our building again — and with it, a clearer vision of how to move forward.

We also used funds from the first wave of donations to complete our architectural drawings and construction documents — a huge milestone that brings us one step closer to rebuilding.

Now, we’re ready to begin the next phase: repairing our facility. However, this rebuild process — along with circumstances beyond our control — means we will not be able to operate for the 2025 summer season. Due to CSX utilizing the Forest Service-managed commercial put-in site, we have not been granted authorization to launch our trips in 2025.

Your donation will go directly toward:

Repairing our facility

Replacing lost rafting equipment and safety gear

Supporting our staff as we rebuild

Reopening Blue Ridge Taphouse as a gathering place for our community

Getting BRP back on the river in time for the 2026 season

Blue Ridge Paddling has always been more than a business — it’s a community, a family, a place where relationships are built and lifelong memories are made. We believe in this dream, and with your help, we can bring it back to life — now more than ever, because we are finally in a position to begin rebuilding.

Sincerely,

The Schmidt Brothers