Emergency Information
Tropical Storm Helene Emergency Response & Updates
12/12/2024:
North Carolina Outward Bound School (NCOBS) is continuing to monitor developments, as the National Forest Service has lifted additional area closures within Pisgah National Forest. Currently, several roads and eighty-five miles of trails have reopened since Tropical Storm Helene. NCOBS is moving forward with programming in our course areas in 2025 and keeping informed with recommendations from local agencies to provide a safe return to serving students in Western North Carolina.
11/6/2024:
We've come to the close of our North Carolina Mountains programming season, and we've completed our annual transition down to our beloved base camp in Everglades City, FL for a fantastic season of sea kayaking and canoeing expeditions. Fortunately, our Everglades base and course area was not significantly impacted by Hurricane Helene or Milton, and all systems are a go!
In western North Carolina, post-Helene the U.S. Forest Service has re-opened Nantahala National Forest and the Pisgah Ranger District of the Pisgah National Forest. This ranger district encompasses our Cedar Rock Base Camp. The Grandfather and Appalachian Ranger Districts of Pisgah National Forest, near our Table Rock Base Camp, are still closed by the U.S. Forest Service as they continue work to repair roads and trails. All 2025 Blue Ridge Mountains courses are live and enrolling in anticipation of continued use of Pisgah National Forest next spring. NCOBS staff are in regular contact with the Forest Service. This page will continue to be updated as we receive more details.
As our region adjusts to a new normal post-Helene, we are reminded of the resiliency and compassion of our communities.
How you can help:
To help us with funds for our storm recovery efforts: https://www.ncobs.org/donate/
A BIG THANK YOU:
We’d like to express our sincere thanks to our NCOBS community, staff, board, Outward Bound USA, our colleagues throughout the Outward Bound system, and our many partners and supporters. Your support and efforts on our behalf mean more to us than you may ever know.
10/2/2024:
North Carolina Outward Bound School (NCOBS), like most of Western North Carolina (WNC), was impacted by Tropical Storm Helene. Chief among the impacts was significant damage along the Pisgah National Forest Service access roads to and from NCOBS’s Table Rock base camp, making these roads impassable. Conditions in the area have also resulted in the cancellation of several incoming student groups to NCOBS Cedar Rock and Table Rock base camps.
The 31 high school students and accompanying adult administrators who were unable to depart the Table Rock base camp as scheduled on Friday arrived back at their school in Pennsylvania early this morning (10/2/24). All have been reunited with their families.
Approximately 20 staff members and twelve adults from a semester-long course remain at Table Rock, which has power, communications and ample food and water. This group assisted with the departure of the high school students (HUGE thanks to them!) and are currently engaged in Outward Bound programming and volunteer work. NCOBS is working on adjustments to their itinerary due to the fact that the Pisgah National Forest is now closed.
There are approximately 15 staff members and no students at the Cedar Rock base camp, which is operating under generator power, has connectivity, and has ample food and water. Cedar Rock also currently has limited vehicle access.
The NCOBS base at Sunset Island in Florida sustained flooding but no significant structural damage. No students or staff were at the base during the storm. There do not appear to be any conditions that would prevent that base from opening on its normal schedule in late October or early November, and no impacts to course programming there are currently anticipated.
Although some are still in areas heavily impacted by the storm, we’ve successfully made contact with all of our staff in the area. We’re working to support them in any way that we can.
Status of upcoming courses:
NCOBS has cancelled several upcoming courses. The School’s staff is reaching out to enrolled NCOBS students to inform them of the situation. Further course cancellations may be required as the National Forest Service works to determine impacts on our course areas. We will keep incoming students advised.
How you can help:
This extreme weather event is going to have significant financial impact on NCOBS due to course cancellations and the impact to our course areas and our operations at our headquarters in Asheville, NC. Many in the region are still without power, water, and cell service. We greatly appreciate your patience and support as we navigate our storm recovery effort.
To help us with funds for our storm recovery efforts: https://www.ncobs.org/donate/
To volunteer: https://forms.office.com/r/AGMF6F0qsP
A BIG THANK YOU:
NCOBS has a long road ahead, but we’ve faced this event with resilience and incredible effort. We’d like to express our sincere thanks to our NCOBS community, staff, board, Outward Bound USA, our colleagues throughout the Outward Bound system, and our many partners and supporters. Your support and efforts on our behalf mean more to us than you may ever know.
Sign Up for Updates
Stay informed on North Carolina news and updates! Please fill out the form below to begin receiving our email newsletter.
