In late September 2024, Hurricane Helene left people stranded and devastated in western North Carolina. Cities in the mountains have been suffering, as a drop in tourism followed the storm.
Cities in the mountains, such as Asheville, rely heavily on tourism. Autumn is usually a very popular time for tourism in parts of western North Carolina. Prime tourism brings about 1.8 billion dollars to the region every fall. However, this number could be endangered as Helene’s lasting impact caused travelers to visit less. The hurricane caused intense flooding, which killed over 100 people.
“There were massive trees down everywhere, no internet with very little communication, but it was just kind of a surreal time,” said Jennifer Munoz, an English teacher at Athens.
Munoz’s family lives in the mountain area. She visits their home and tries to keep in contact with family during these times.
“We liked to hike, take in the scenery, relax,” said Munoz.
Western North Carolina has been recovering these last few months, thanks to rebuilding efforts and multiple clean-up acts. Since October 2024, the majority of visitors entering Asheville are temporary volunteers and workers. They are eager for visitors to return, and many top tourist shops are ready for customers again.
Seeing that cities have faced heavy damage and destruction to their buildings, it is important to remember that while many businesses and neighborhoods are ready to welcome visitors, people should expect different-looking landscapes and neighborhoods.
Jody Herring, an English Language Arts teacher at Athens, grew up in Rutherford County, a community that was severely affected by the Hurricane. As Herring’s family still lives in that area, he visits there often.
“There’s this one restaurant that actually closed down because it was near the river and it washed away, but they’re reopening it in a new location,” said Herring.
Cities in the mountain area are recovering greatly. Businesses in town are opening up again, and although many tragedies occurred, the North Carolina Mountains are on the road to get back to normal.
“Percentages of businesses in towns are open. They had gotten back to about 40% of businesses opening. So it’s neat to hear those numbers rising,” said Herring.
