“One way or another, how we handle this mess will have big impacts on our natural environment.”
It will be difficult to estimate just how big of an economic toll the near-total loss of rail transport will have on the area. Loss of cheap and fast access to basic, bulky supplies like grain and timber is a reality that modern cities rarely have to face.
For weeks after the storm, people had to boil anything that wasn’t poured from a bottle, and many of them drew from creeks and ponds just to flush their toilets.
All say they plan to stick around to help for as long as it takes the region to recover. And they stress that recovery will come in phases, requiring them to adapt their missions in order to support the community’s evolving needs.
Though much of the River Arts District was destroyed by Tropical Storm Helene, the recent success of RADFest 1.0 has many artists hopeful that the district can bounce back.
“WNC theaters were finally getting close to pre-COVID attendance, and Helene set us all the way back,” says Rose Pillmore, board member of Asheville Theater Alliance
“Our staff stepped up in incredible ways, making home visits to artists and delivering essential supplies where needed,” says Debbie Harris, co-executive director of Open Hearts Art Center.
With Marshall High Studios being renovated following flooding from Tropical Storm Helene, the beloved holiday arts market moves to a new venue.
Despite minimal damage from Tropical Storm Helene, improvements to Woodfin’s Riverside Park and a manufactured whitewater Taylor’s Wave are delayed while waiting for water levels to fall.
Erica Shanks was in Milwaukee, Wis., for a water and climate conference Sept. 26, but all she could think about was the weather back home. She needed to get home.
Buncombe County Board of Commissioners approved $1.5 million for rental assistance and expanded emergency housing within the county in response to Tropical Storm Helene.
Resilience Roundtable: WNC Business Pivot Chats is a new online monthly discussion initiated by local entrepreneurs Alyssa Phillips Downey and Nicole McConville.
“We are dedicated to providing key resources so that Pisgah remains the beloved place that it is for WNC residents and all who pass through these mountains,” says Marielle DeJong, donor engagement officer at The Pisgah Conservancy.
This year’s Mistletoe Market will feature three days of holiday shopping with a portion of ticket sales benefiting storm recovery efforts.
Opening Nov. 23, the fundraising show and sale features works of art created on pieces of flood debris.
Many local nonprofits are facing challenges as money and volunteer hours pour into groups with a more direct role in storm recovery efforts. These groups are trying to address the issue in creative ways, including reaching out to donors and volunteers outside WNC for help.
