After 24 years of guiding whitewater trips on the Nolichucky River Gorge for other companies, Patrick Mannion finally received a permit last year to operate his own outfitter business. But following the devastation of Hurricane Helene, he doesn't know if Osprey Whitewater will be around for a second year.
Flooding driven by the September hurricane cut the fall rafting season short and devastated this mountainous region on the Tennessee-North Carolina border. Miles of railroad tracks and entire houses were thrown into the river. Some outfitters lost buildings and equipment. Guides lost their homes. Some lost friends. The river itself changed dramatically.
