BLACKSBURG, Va., March 5 -- Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University issued the following news release:
When Hurricane Helene tore through Southwest Virginia in 2024, it destroyed half of the Virginia Creeper Trail from Damascus to Whitetop and exposed just how deeply the region's economy depends on it.
Within the first week after the storm, eight bike shops in Whitetop, Damascus, and Abingdon reported an estimated $60,000 in lost rental revenue, with individual damages ranging from $10,000 to $100,000. Across Grayson and Washington counties, many small businesses saw revenue drop by 50 percent or more.
A new Virginia Tech study quantifies the trail's growing regional significance and its role as a major economic engine for So...