Helene created forest gaps that may have fueled North Carolina wildfires

BOONE, N.C. — Months after Hurricane Helene swept through western North Carolina, researchers at Appalachian State University are still documenting the storm's far-reaching impact on mountain ecosystems, from altered stream channels to forest canopy gaps that may have contributed to subsequent wildfires.

Jon Davenport , a researcher at App State, said the full scope of environmental damage is still emerging as his team collects data across the transformed landscape.

"We're still trying to understand," Davenport said while surveying damage in the Boone area. "You can see there's obviously big changes across the landscape."

Helene made landfall in Florida in September 2024 as a Category 4 storm before moving inland and causing catastrophic damage across the southeastern United States, wit