Jack “Quadzilla” Jones: On-the-Ground Hurricane Helene Status Update and 2025 Predictions

We caught up with Jack “Quadzilla” Jones, everyone’s favorite quadricep-having thru-hiking content creator, about what’s really going on with the Appalachian Trail in the wake of Hurricane Helene.

Since early October, Jones has been on the ground in some of the hardest-hit areas of southern Appalachia as part of the initial disaster response effort. 

He’s in the process of walking some sections of the AT to assess the damage when we speak. “There are some blowdowns, but it’s not awful,” he reports from the Watauga Dam area of Tennessee, where he is now. “I think most of it will be clear next spring. Some northbounders will probably still have to skip some, but southbounders should be fine.”

Status of the Trail and Trail Towns

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Jack Jones (Quadzilla) (@quadzillahikes)

Jones has encountered southbound thru-hikers as far south as Marion, VA, some of whom have reported “a mess of blowdowns” near southern Virginia’s Chestnut High Knob Shelter. “But other than that, hostels and people around the area have already cleaned up most of the trail, and southbounders have been getting through no problem.”

Jones says hikers are skipping roughly 300 miles south from Marion to Davenport Gap to avoid the most damaged (and still officially closed) sections of the trail.

As for trail towns themselves, Jones has visited several and says the pace of the recovery effort has amazed him. “Progress is happening pretty quickly. The trail towns have their roads, their power … infrastructure is pretty well back online, and now it’s just a process of people rebuilding homes and cleaning businesses.”

In Erwin, TN, he reports that most homes and businesses further back from the Nolichucky River survived intact. In Damascus, VA, businesses in the flooded downtown area were badly affected, but most residences were on higher ground and thus were spared the worst of the storm.

How To Help

 

 

 

 

 

 

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While the initial advice was for visitors to stay away to avoid straining emergency services, things have progressed to the point where visiting is OK. “There’s no lack of resources anymore,” says Jones. Want to help trail towns recover? Go down for a weekend, enjoy the beautiful weather, and spend some money with local businesses.

“I’ve been to Boots Off, the (Appalachian) Station. They’re open for business and welcoming hikers,” he says. “Pay attention to what the businesses are saying and ignore the people that have no idea what’s going on and are just telling you, ‘No, you need to stay away. It’s destroyed. You’re taking away resources.’ Because that is just not the case anymore.”

“Take time to go stay at hostels down in Georgia as well,” he advises, as the southernmost section of trail will see fewer SOBOs than usual this year.

If a weekend trip isn’t feasible, consider donating directly to help keep hostels afloat.

Volunteer Opportunities

Storm damage from Hurricane Helene in Mt Rogers National Recreation Area, Virginia. Photo: Appalachian Trail Conservancy

The whole focus of the hurricane recovery effort is starting to shift. When Jones arrived on the scene in the second week of October, he worked directly with distribution centers that were organizing supplies and volunteers. Now, many of those centers are starting to scale down their operations as the need for unskilled manpower dwindles.

“Now it’s more of a process of getting skilled labor and contractors, people who can actually rebuild these homes,” says Jones. “That need for just everyone to just show up and work is winding down.”

This echoes a sentiment shared with The Trek recently by Appalachian Trail Conservancy Communications Director Ann Simonelli, who said the pace of recovery on the AT itself will in part be limited by the availability of skilled sawyers to clear the trail this winter.

For those who are still interested in volunteering in person, Jones suggests contacting local chambers of commerce, churches, and charitable organizations that could connect you with work projects and organizations to help out. You can also email trail clubs in affected areas, as many will be putting together work crews to address damage on the trail itself.

Conspiracy Theories

While businesses in downtown Damascus, VA were severely affected by flooding, most private homes were on higher ground and avoided the worst of the flooding

Jones has criticized the spread of misinformation surrounding the efforts of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in the recovery effort. He’s seen the harmful effects of this misinformation in person. “(Conspiracy theories) hurt volunteers and those affected by the storm. It’s keeping people from applying for federal aid that they desperately need,” he says.

He’s met people whose homes have been destroyed but who remain camped out on their properties under tarps and in tents. “They’re afraid that the federal government is going to take their land, but they don’t want to apply for aid because they think if they apply for aid, they’ll have to pay it back, which is not true.”

Jones stresses the importance of debunking these conspiracy theories. FEMA is well-funded for the hurricane response effort and operates by funding local organizations to coordinate relief work, rather than sending direct personnel. “It wouldn’t make sense for the federal government to have a standing army of disaster response workers,” he explains. This money is given out as grants, not loans, so the money never has to be paid back.

Outlook for 2025

“For next year most likely the trail will be open from Hampton on north,” Jones predicts. “The trail around Hot Springs (NC) and Erwin will be the trail most likely to still be closed based on what I’m seeing on the ground.” So while the Class of 2025 may have to skip or detour around closures, thru-hiking should still be broadly possible.

Earlier this week, Damascus announced that it will move forward as planned with the 2025 Trail Days festival. “We look forward to seeing you again soon, May 16-18, 2025,” festival planners wrote on Facebook.

While acknowledging that the AT is currently closed north and south of Damascus and that the town itself still faces a long road to recovery, the announcement echoed Jones’s call for visitors to patronize local businesses.

“Due to an incredible outpouring of community support, Damascus is in recovery mode and several of our local businesses are now reopening for the fall season. Please be patient and kind as recovery efforts in Damascus continue.”

As in Damascus, much of the hurricane-affected region still faces a long road to recovery. The amount of progress that’s already been made is nevertheless encouraging. As the effort shifts from short-term disaster mitigation to long-term recovery, opportunities to help out are still plentiful. Donations and volunteer hours will go a long way, but so would a weekend getaway that gives direct business to affected towns.

As the Damascus Trail Days planners wrote in their recent announcement: “We are resilient. We are rebuilding. We are OPEN.”

• List of resources for Hurricane Helene recovery
• Donate to the Appalachian Trail Resiliency Fund
• Trail status updates from the Appalachian Trail Conservancy

Featured image courtesy @quadzillahikes on Instagram.