In Damascus, business is down but hopes are high one year after Hurricane Helene

['Shannon Heckt', 'Tim Henderson', 'More From Author', 'September', '.Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Coauthors.Is-Layout-Flow', 'Class', 'Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus', 'Display Inline', '.Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Avatar', 'Where Img'] Virginia Mercury 2025-09-22 00:00:00

As the first fall leaves drifted to the ground in Damascus Town Park on a recent warm September day, Mayor Katie Lamb spoke to an audience just off the Virginia Creeper Trail trailhead. Three people in Virginia died as a result of the storm, as well as over 250 people in other states. Multiple popular hiking and biking trails, such as the Appalachian Trail, converge near Damascus. The most popular portion is from White Top to Damascus, as it is mostly downhill and shaded in trees. Wright’s other business, which outfits Appalachian Trail hikers, is down about 30% this year despite the trail being fully open.