Helene washes away “Rainbow Bridge” for lost pets in North Carolina

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – The Rainbow Bridge at Lake Lure, a memorial to deceased dogs and other pets, no longer exists, having been washed away as 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 structures constructed on and around a pedestrian bridge that crossed the Broad River and connected the towns of Lake Lure and Chimney Rock.

The rainbow bridge in front of Helene. Note the Broad River in the background.

(Reprinted with permission from Lake Lure Flowering Bridge / FOX Weather)

According to the FOX Forecast Center, the area was hit by approximately 22.5 inches of rain from Helene from September 24th to 28th. This caused the Broad River to rise more than 15 feet and inundate its banks with silt and flood water.

“We lost everything,” said Linda Randeau, Lake Lure Flowering Bridge board member and volunteer. “We lost the Flowering Bridge, and we lost the Rainbow Bridge to Hurricane Helene. This is actually pretty devastating.”

“It’s much worse in person”

The Rainbow Bridge, once painted in the colors of the rainbow and adorned with colorful collars and pendants of animals so loved by their people, is now all but gone, replaced by brown dirt and rubble.

Reandeau herself had placed a collar on the bridge in memory of her long-haired dachshund, Georgia, who died at the age of 13. Georgia's collar, along with those of other pets hung from the Rainbow Bridge, is now lost to Helene.

“She was really sweet. That's why I don't have her label anymore because I put it on the bridge. But you know, it was just a label. I still have pictures of her and her other puppy. We actually had that.” “Two tags down there, our other dog,” Reandeau said. “It’s heartbreaking.”

Reandeau puts on a dog collar on the Rainbow Bridge for a visitor who recently lost his dog.

(Reprinted with permission from Lake Lure Flowering Bridge / FOX Weather)

Aside from the Rainbow Bridge, the larger Lake Lure Flowering Bridge and all of its gardens were also completely destroyed.

The Flowering Bridge, built in 2013, was a car bridge that was converted into a volunteer-run botanical garden, Reandeau said. The green space also extended beyond the bridge and included 30 gardens and more than 2,200 flowers, trees and other plants along the banks of the Broad River.

One of these gardens was the River's Edge Dog Garden, maintained by Reandeau. There were stepping stones shaped like paw prints, as well as a red fire hydrant and bench for puppies and their people.

The River's Edge Dog Garden in front of Helene. The Broad River can be seen in the background.

(Reprinted with permission from Lake Lure Flowering Bridge / FOX Weather)

These lush gardens were washed downstream during Helene, replacing the bright green and berry colors of the gardens with the mud of the flood.

The future of the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge, with all its gardens and the popular Rainbow Bridge, is uncertain, especially since the pedestrian bridge that crossed the Broad River is no longer structurally sound, Reandeau said.

She noted that the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge board must decide what the future holds, as the greater Lake Lure community and many other communities in Western North Carolina are still reeling from the effects of Helene.

The area where the rainbow bridge and dog garden stood in front of Helene.

(Reprinted with permission from Lake Lure Flowering Bridge / FOX Weather)

“I just want to ask everyone to keep Western North Carolina in your thoughts and prayers and to continue donating to relief efforts throughout the region,” Reandeau said. “The pictures are terrible. But when you see it in person, it’s even worse.”

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Currently, the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge is undergoing a recovery process. Reandeau noted that they are not accepting new volunteers and are instead limiting the number of people on the site for safety reasons.

Instead, she encourages people to keep up to date with the website through Lake Lure Flowering Bridge's Facebook page, Instagram account and official website. People can also donate at the official Lake Lure Flowering Bridge website.