Marty Gordon
NRVsports@ourvalley.org
If you took a visit to Bisset Park anytime this past week, you would see a facility of walking tracks, playgrounds and picnic shelters.
The scene was similar in early September. But just a month ago, it was completely different. Devastation was seen everywhere as Tropical Storm Helene pushed the scenic New River’s banks beyond its normal level.
Photographs from the day after the storm shows picnic shelters completely under water. The monument gazebo that sits in the middle of the park saw water come halfway up its structure.
The entrance tunnel had water three feet from its roof, and the entryway was completely underwater.
The scene was one local residents had never experienced in their lifetime. The New had almost doubled its width.
Trees were uprooted along the river’s banks. Just a few blocks down the river, athletic fields are still covered in mud and fences knocked down. The fields were completely engulfed by the rising waters.
A river adventure company’s storage facility is completely gone, along with everything that had been in it. That includes lifejackets, kayaks and paddles. Some have been found hanging from trees miles down from Bisset Park.
Radford on the River had been operating at the park since its opening in the summer of 2023, and Paul Pallante is the company’s owner. Radford on the River was completely decimated.
“I found shards of the wall (of the storage building) as far away as the Dedmon Center, two miles away,” he said.
All of the company’s 50 kayaks, hundreds of tubes, and all of their lifejackets, paddles and associated equipment washed down stream.
All three of their shuttle buses/vans were completely flooded, even after being moved to the highest point of the park under the Bisset Park bridge.
“I was down in the park, checking on what survived when the floodwaters were just below peak. The sheer volume and power of the water was just jaw dropping. It was utter devastation on a level I could not have imagined,” he said.
Online, the outdoor company boasted of the bumper crop for “lifejacket” season.
“Learn more about this native species, and also about volunteer opportunities to harvest them and clean up the park,” Pallante jokes.
“When the water level finally started to drop, there were fish and turtles flipping all over the main road. We were plucking lifejackets and tubes out of trees with extension poles for days after,” he said.
Radford on the River was located at Shelter #3. Unfortunately, Pallante said his insurance did not cover contents, so 90 percent of its equipment was a total loss. In addition, he said people were looting after the storm and took kayaks and other equipment.
“That felt like being kicked while you’re down. Hopefully if anybody comes across our boats, they will still reach out,” he said.
Radford on the River are optimistic to open in the spring. “We’re in the floating business, not the sinking business, so we’re looking forward to Bisset recovering and being better,” Pallante said.
Floodwaters of 32 feet reached heights not seen since 1940. Signage has been placed in the park to show the level where the 1940 mark reached to record. Bisset had not seen anything this high since then.
Bisset Park is located on 57 acres of riverfront land in the central part of the city. The park offers walking trails, athletic fields, picnic shelters, children’s playground, a sand volleyball area and other opportunities for outdoor recreation. Three picnic shelters sit along the scenic New River.
In 1974 during the creation of the park, a Native American village was excavated on the bank of the New River at Bisset Park. The Trigg Site, named after the local family who owned the property, revealed that Native Americans occupied the village from the Archaic period (8000 BC-1800 BC) until the Historic period (1550 AD-1780 AD).
For those wondering, the major storm did not uncover any more of those artifacts.
Helene delivered a punch in the mouth and left its mark all around.
Greg Holbrook is Radford’s parks and recreation director.
“It was unbelievable,” he said Thursday during a driving tour of the park.
Bisset Park, with a 1.3-mile footprint, was closed for nearly a month. Now, it has reopened, and visitors were busy walking this week.
“Residents have been very understanding,” Holbrook said.
The damage will be in the millions of dollars once the assessment is completed. But in many ways, Holbrook feels lucky.
“We were able to wash most of the mud and muck off the trails and park.”
He was quick to point to the walking trail, which was almost untouched. Holbrook said it took a beating but is still there. A few walking bridges suffered damage to handrails but otherwise are open.
A majority of the damage can be seen on former tennis courts which were turned into eight pickleball courts. They had just been open for 18 months when the stormwaters swelled the pavement and took down fencing and nets and was built for an estimated $350,000.
“I don’t know if or when they (pickleball courts) will be back,” Holbrook said.
The city’s athletic fields will be another major undertaking. Holbrook said plans call for one field to be repaired at a time.
“I don’t know what monies we might receive from FEMA in order to fix everything,” he said.
The storm damage came at a time when the City of Radford is facing major shortfalls in its budget and from declining real estate assessments.
But the decision to rebuild and fix what was lost is no-brainer for the city. It just might take time and a lot of patience. For the river, it has fallen back to its regular height and looks as pristine as it did back in September.