Asheville and Western North Carolina, as of January 2025, are still in the process of recovery from the damage of Hurricane Helene. Many businesses and shops in Asheville and the region have been shut down and are struggling to rebuild with huge financial losses due to no tourists in the area. Some roads in Asheville have reopened, but the region is still facing long-term storm damage with infrastructure and economic losses; and the process to take years for the Asheville area to fully recover to how it used to be.
The Three key points about the recovery process in the Western North Carolina area that they would have to work on are Massive infrastructure damage, ongoing cleanup process, and the small towns that were hit hard by the storm would take years to rebuild and for tourism to come back to those areas. The infrastructure damage to Asheville and the region was extensive. This storm messed up the region's utilities, and it impacted business operations in the area and access to very needed services.
The ongoing cleanup in Western North Carolina could take years to complete, and the federal government is providing a Major part of the funding for this recovery.
And cleanup in the small Towns of Western North Carolina such as Waynesville and Hickory, is still undergoing, with the full extent of damage and the recovery time not fully accessed.
As a Resident of Upstate South Carolina in the recent past, I used to go to Asheville sometimes Two or three times a month with my family, and the Asheville area is like a second home to me. Not being able now to ride into Hendersonville and Asheville recently has been a downer for me, and I look forward to when the area fully recovers and my family can visit the area safely again.
I think it would be some time even years until WNC and the Asheville area get back to how it used to be as a Blue Ridge Mountains tourist attraction. United States Senator Ted Budd released a Statement about the extensive hurricane damage back on December 21st, 2024, which said, "At long last, the People of Western North Carolina will begin to receive disaster aid they do desperately need and deserve. It's going to take years to fully recover after the destruction of Hurricane Helene. I will continue to serve shoulder to shoulder with the resilient citizens of the Western Mountains as they undertake the difficult job of rebuilding."
On Saturday, January 11th, 2025, newly elected NC Governor Josh Stein, during his Inauguration address, praised the strength of the People of Western North Carolina, who stood strong during the aftermath of this terrible storm and pledged to help the area rebuild quicker. Governor Stein said, "We must overcome the unprecedented storm that ravaged our state and the everyday struggles that impact our neighbors. And we will."
Western North Carolina has work to do to get their area fully recovered from this devastating storm and Hurricane that truly ravaged the area. But with strong residents and a strong community, the Western North Carolina area will fully regain its old spark back as one of the Best Tourist attraction areas in North Carolina and the entire country.
