Resilience after Hurricane Helene in North Carolina

Communities in Western North Carolina respondeded to Hurricane Helene by rallying together and finding ways to rebuild after the destruction.

One year ago, entrepreneurs, local restaurants, and small businesses began working tirelessly to reopen and serve their communities despite significant challenges. Donna and Mary Stafford faced immense loss after acquiring and renovating Helen's Restaurant before the storm, only to have it condemned following Helene's extensive damage. The restaurant in Bakersville, devastated by floods, sought support through a Go Fund Me campaign to rejuvenate their historic eatery's legacy.

In Asheville, Charlotte restaurateurs like Kaitlyn Burton navigated communication difficulties with staff, faced infrastructure damage, and struggled to reopen. Businesses like Summit Coffee Co. and Hi-Wire Brewing focused on assisting displaced employees while grappling with structural damages caused by flooding.

Recovery efforts highlighted community resilience, as seen in the rebuilding of Asheville's Flowering Bridge, where $2.5 million of federal funding was allocated to restore this cherished landmark.

With each restoration and reopening, these communities demonstrated perseverance and solidarity in the wake of disaster.

When the French Broad River flooded Asheville’s River Arts District, it left destruction in its wake. Summit Coffee Co.’s damage is extensive: Its main wall is nearly gone, its roof partially caved in and a mixture of mud and debris lies inside.

NO. 1: CHARLOTTE RESTAURATEURS HAD TO WATCH FROM AFAR WHILE HELENE DESTROYED THEIR ASHEVILLE LOCATIONS

Some of these restaurant and retail owners are unable to reach their employees in Western North Carolina — they don’t even know if they are safe. | Published October 4, 2024 | Read Full Story by Samantha Husted

At the creek near our home, we would fill a 5-gallon bucket and then pour the water into the detergent bottles with a funnel. By Sara Murphy

NO. 2: LIVING IN THE DARK: 13+ DAYS WITHOUT POWER IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AFTER HURRICANE HELENE

Extended power outages and water scarcity impact daily life in storm-hit areas. | Published October 15, 2024 | Read Full Story by Sara Murphy

Helen’s Restaurant in Bakersville, North Carolina, was destroyed during Hurricane Helene. A wall on the lower level is gone, and the support beams for the building are also gone. Shown at top and left are Google Street View images from before the storm.

NO. 3: THEY BOUGHT THE TOWN’S OLDEST RESTAURANT AND RENOVATED IT. THEN HELENE DESTROYED IT.

Since 1956, Helen’s Restaurant was one of only a few places to eat in the small town of Bakersville NC. It was condemned after Hurricane Helene. What happens next? | Published October 16, 2024 | Read Full Story by Melissa Oyler

Chef Ashleigh Shanti at a Pintxo Party relief dinner hosted at Cúrate on Dec. 5, 2024. By Carrie Turner Photography

NO. 4: AS ASHEVILLE RESTAURANTS LIKE VIVIAN CLOSE THEIR DOORS, WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO THE CITY’S CULINARY MAGIC?

“We need the Charlotte people, the Greenville people, the Raleigh people to come out and visit us … we need our weekend warriors to go to breweries, hit the restaurants, go on dates.” | Published December 11, 2024 | Read Full Story by Kayleigh Ruller

The Asheville skyline at sunrise over Town Mountain Road Bridge in the fall. By Andre Daugherty

NO. 5: WESTERN NC FALL TRAVEL GUIDE 2025: WHAT’S OPEN ONE YEAR AFTER HURRICANE HELENE?

One year after Hurricane Helene’s devastating impact, the resilience of Western North Carolina is as clear as the crisp mountain air. | Published September 26, 2025 | Read Full Story by Melissa Oyler

When Hurricane Helene floodwaters receded, debris littered the area around Okie Dokies Smokehouse. By Courtesy of Steve Dunning

NO. 6: RESILIENCE AND RECOVERY: ONE YEAR AFTER HURRICANE HELENE AT WNC RESTAURANTS

I wrote my first story for CharlotteFive in a chair in my neighbors’ bedroom in Leicester, northwest of Asheville. | Published September 22, 2025 | Read Full Story by Sara Murphy

A couple admires the gardens on Lake Lure Flowering Bridge in 2023. The bridge was destroyed during Hurricane Helene. By Jared Kay

NO. 7: HOPE BLOOMS: LAKE LURE’S FLOWERING BRIDGE WILL BE REBUILT, AFTER ALL

Hurricane Helene took so much from Western North Carolina, with the destruction of the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge becoming a poignant symbol of the region’s loss. | Published September 19, 2025 | Read Full Story by Melissa Oyler

A scene from Biltmore Village in Asheville on Wednesday October 2, 2204. The area received extensive damage from flooding of the Swannanoa River after the remnants of Hurricane Helene caused torrential rainfall in western North Carolina. By Travis Long

NO. 8: BELOVED HOME REPAIR SHOW FOLLOWS NC’S HELENE REBUILD THIS SEASON. HOW TO WATCH

Asheville was one of several western North Carolina towns ravaged by the destructive force of Hurricane Helene, which damaged structures and upended lives in September 2024. | Published September 25, 2025 | Read Full Story by Kendrick Marshall

The summary above was drafted with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in our News division. All stories listed were reported, written and edited by McClatchy journalists.