Shenandoah: Power Outages at Big Meadows After Isaias

The remnants of Hurricane Isaias are leaving their mark on Shenandoah National Park. The Big Meadows developed area is currently experiencing power outages, and for now it's the hardest-hit spot in the whole park. If you were planning to stop there in the next few days, that's the thing to know before you hit the road.

In practical terms, a power outage at Big Meadows can throw off a whole trip. Lighting, heat or air conditioning, phone charging, sometimes food service and hot water all run on the grid. So we'd suggest showing up with a backup plan, a flashlight, charged batteries, and enough to get through an evening without working outlets.

The situation is still changing. The park warns that other areas could lose power as the day goes on, even though Big Meadows is taking the brunt of it today. Nothing's settled, and an outage can turn up somewhere that was still working fine that morning. We'd encourage you to check on the power yourself, on the ground, when you arrive.

The other thing to watch is the roads. After a windstorm this big, trees may have come down on the pavement, including on Skyline Drive, which links the park's different sections. Drive slowly, leave yourself room in the curves, and be ready to turn around if a trunk blocks the way. Caution is strongly advised across the park's entire road network.

A word for visitors staying overnight. If you have a lodging reservation and a specific question about your stay, the right contact is the park's concessioner, Delaware North Parks and Resorts, which runs the lodges. They're the ones to reach about the status of a room or whether a night's stay is still on.

This episode is temporary by nature. The power will come back and the roads will be cleared. While you wait for a clearer picture, we'd recommend planning your trip with the Shenandoah park guide, so you can pick your areas and adjust your route if a section stays disrupted.