The damage that Hurricane Helene wrought on Western North Carolina’s mountain towns this fall has been hard to comprehend. In late September, Asheville recorded over nine inches of rain in just two days, causing severe flooding in areas like Biltmore Village and the city’s burgeoning River Arts District. Landslides forced closures on key highways I-26 and I-40, cutting off major access routes; power outages and disruptions to cellular service left residents isolated for days, making the aftermath feel “post-apocalyptic” to many residents and visitors. Utilities, including water and power, were restored in stages, with certain areas still in recovery mode today: On November 18, after a 53-day water crisis, the City of Asheville City finally lifted its boil-water notice, restoring clean and potable water throughout Asheville’s taps.
Restored clean water is huge step for restaurants and hotels to safely reopen—but it may be too little, too late for some businesses. This year, the city completely missed out on its most crucial season for visitors: fall. Asheville-area businesses heavily rely on the high-season dollars of leaf peepers as the bulk of their revenue for the entire year. To put this in perspective: on average, Buncombe County hotels sold over $50 million in bookings during October 2023—the next closest month of revenue, December, trailed that number by $11 million. September ($38.8 million) and July ($38.7 million) followed. This means that Asheville’s tourism numbers may not bounce back until the summer, and 2025 is going to represent a prolonged comeback.
Despite the losses, the Asheville Regional Airport has been open since the week of the storm, and tourism reopenings have been slowly occurring since then. The iconic Biltmore Estate—George Vanderbilt’s historic 250-room chateau that can host overnight guests—reopened its doors to guests this month, just in time for the landmark’s annual Christmas at Biltmore celebrations.
“The Asheville area welcomes visitors who come with patience and heart as they support us and return to this special place,” says Vic Isley, president of Explore Asheville. “The heart of our local hospitality community has never been more alive than the days and weeks following Hurricane Helene—from beds and meals for first responders to care and clean-up in the community. Your plans to return give us hope and heart.”
The city and surrounding areas are still working through Hurricane Helene’s damage, with some areas still seeing continued water issues, road repairs, and power outages—yet, “many local businesses, restaurants, and hotels across the Asheville area are open and safely welcoming guests,” says Isley. While planning is essential, travelers can support Asheville by planning a trip there this winter or for 2025. Here’s how to do it, the businesses that are now welcoming tourists, and those that are still on their way to recovery—but may be open to other ways you can support them.
How to help Asheville from afar
Even if you don’t plan to visit right now, there are many ways to help the region recover, including buying gift cards from any of the businesses mentioned in this guide, or shopping their online storefronts: At East Fork Pottery (founded by Alex Matisse, the grandson of renowned French artist Henri Matisse) 5% of sales, both in-store and online, are going to disaster organizations in the community. Wrong Way Campground’s Oxford Pennant ‘Asheville Forever’ flag is sending all profits to the Equal Plates Project; and BeLoved Asheville is focusing on helping BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) individuals and communities of low wealth to rebuild. In the wake of Hurricane Helene, Explore Asheville created a digital platform, Love Asheville From Afar, where you can shop for local products from those small businesses and artists who were greatly impacted.
