Saturday Update: Duke Gardens to Reopen Saturday Morning

Storm damage in Duke Gardens. Photo by Annabel Renwick
Storm damage in Duke Gardens. Photo by Annabel Renwick

UPDATE: Duke Gardens will reopen at 8 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 26.

Trees twisted like pretzels and were plucked from the soil. Garden paths are strewn with branches and some trees are leaning precariously in the wake of a storm that blew through Durham late Tuesday afternoon. Today, Duke Gardens is closed to visitors as clean-up crews are assessing the damage.

There were 16 large trees – at least 18 inches in diameter – that came down and others that are hung up in other trees that present a hazardous situation, according to Bobby Mottern, the Garden’s director of horticulture. Several smaller trees were crushed and also will have to be cut down as well.

“I have been here 15 years and have never seen anything this bad. This was probably the worst since Hurricane Fran,” says Mottern, who added that he heard nearby Duke University Hospital recorded winds of 74 miles an hour, which constitutes hurricane-strength winds. “It’s amazing how fast it hit,” he added.

He estimates that it could be two to three weeks for the cleanup to be complete and at least three days before the Gardens will be open again to the public, though that could change depending on how quickly the work is completed.

On a positive note, none of the garden structures suffered damage and no one was hurt.

“All in all, we were really lucky it could have been so much worse,” says Mottern. “We just ask that folks have patience, and we will open when it’s safe and as soon as we can.”

Duke Gardens storm damage. Photo by Bobby Mottern.
Duke Gardens storm damage. Photo by Bobby Mottern.