Hurricane Helene has been classified as a “Geological Event” by the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

A geological event is a natural occurrence that changes the earth’s surface or structure. Most notably, this classification is reserved for events such as plate tectonics resulting in earthquake damage. The southern United States rarely encounters a change in the structure of the earth.

One notable exception would be Reelfoot Lake in Western Tennessee in 1811, caused by an earthquake in the New Madrid Fault which reversed the course of the Mississippi River and created the lake.

When discussing Helene, the landslides altering the earth’s surface have been given generally as the geological changes to the earth’s structure.

Rock Sprite and Badger haven’t been up close and personal with a geological event previously save the Rocky Branch Scar, but Saturday’s respite from Helene relief work in North Cove, North Carolina, gave us the opportunity to put boots on the ground and delve into the drastic changes.

The flooding of the North Fork of the Catawba River concurrent with hurricane force winds created virtually a new environment to explore.

This type of exploration is not for the timid. The swollen river and its tributaries created new courses for the water to run. The waterline was 20-30 feet higher than normal and literally left its marks. Even the waterfalls presented new photography perspectives as the terrain and even the bedrock were altered.

Enjoy the photos of the “new” North Fork adventure. A silver lining to the Helene disaster was our opportunity to experience a geological event up close and personal.

We live for these moments.

Thomas Mabry – Honey Badger Images

Many of the HoneyBadgerImages are on display at instagram.com/honeybadgerimages.