Beloved 'Rainbow Bridge' honoring lost pets in North Carolina washed away by Helene
The area was slammed by about 22.5 inches of rain from Helene during Sept. 24-28. This caused the Broad River to surge and rise more than 15 feet, drowning its banks in silt and floodwater.
FILE: Debris scattered everywhere after Helene floodwaters devastate Chimney Rock, NC
Chimney Rock, North Carolina was one of the many places ravaged by Hurricane Helene. After raging floodwaters gushed through the city, the village is left reeling with what is left.
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – The Rainbow Bridge of Lake Lure, a memorial dedicated to dogs and other pets that have passed away, is no more, as it was washed away during Hurricane Helene’s march across western North Carolina last month.
Located southeast of Asheville, the Rainbow Bridge was part of the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge, a series of gardens and other installments placed on and around a pedestrian bridge that crossed the Broad River and connected the cities of Lake Lure and Chimney Rock.
The Rainbow Bridge before Helene. Note the Broad River in the background. (Reprinted with permission from the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge / FOX Weather)
The area was slammed by about 22.5 inches of rain from Helene during Sept. 24-28, according to the FOX Forecast Center. This caused the Broad River to surge and rise more than 15 feet, drowning its banks in silt and floodwater.
"We lost everything," said Linda Randeau, board member and volunteer with the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge. "We lost the Flowering Bridge, and we lost the Rainbow Bridge from Hurricane Helene. It's quite devastating, actually."
‘In person it’s so much worse'
The Rainbow Bridge, once painted in the colors of the rainbow and adorned in colorful collars and tags of animals who were so loved by their humans, is now all but disappeared and replaced by brown muck and debris.
Reandeau herself had placed a collar on the bridge in memory of her long-haired dachshund, Georgia, who passed away at the age of 13. Georgia’s collar, along with those of other pets that were hung on the Rainbow Bridge, now lost to Helene.
"She was a real sweetie. So, I don't have her tag anymore because I put it on that bridge. But, you know, it was just a tag. I still have pictures of her and her other puppy. We had actually two tags down there, our other doggie," Reandeau said. "It's heartbreaking."
Reandeau, placing a dog collar on the Rainbow Bridge for a visitor who had recently lost their dog. (Reprinted with permission from the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge / FOX Weather)
Apart from the Rainbow Bridge, the greater Lake Lure Flowering Bridge and all of its gardens were also completely devastated.
Built in 2013, the Flowering Bridge was a vehicular bridge that was transformed into a botanical garden run by volunteers, Reandeau said. The green space also extended beyond the bridge, with 30 gardens and more than 2200 flowers, trees and other plants growing along the banks of the Broad River.
One of those gardens was the River’s Edge Dog Garden, which was taken care of by Reandeau. It had stepping stones in the shape of paw prints, plus a red fire hydrant and bench for pups and their humans.
The River's Edge Dog Garden before Helene. The Broad River can be seen in the background. (Reprinted with permission from the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge / FOX Weather)
Those lush gardens were flushed downstream during Helene, replacing the vibrant greens and berry colors of the gardens with mud from the flood.
The future of Lake Lure Flowering Bridge, along with all its gardens and its beloved Rainbow Bridge, is uncertain, especially as the pedestrian bridge that crossed the Broad River is no longer structurally sound, Reandeau said.
She noted that the board of directors for the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge will have to decide what the future holds, as the greater Lake Lure community and many other communities in western North Carolina are still reeling from the impacts of Helene.
The area where the Rainbow Bridge and Dog Garden stood before Helene. (Reprinted with permission from the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge / FOX Weather)
"I just would ask that everyone keep western North Carolina in their thoughts and prayers and to continue to donate to relief efforts for the whole area," Reandeau said. "The pictures are horrific. But when you see it in person, it's so much worse."
For now, the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge is in a recovery process. Reandeau noted that they are not accepting new volunteers and are instead limiting the number of people on the site due to safety concerns.
Instead, she encourages people to stay up to date with the site through the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge Facebook page, Instagram account and official website. People can also make donations on the official Lake Lure Flowering Bridge website.