Nestled amid the breathtaking Blue Ridge Mountains, several hundred miles inland from the coast, Asheville, NC, is usually spared from a hurricane’s destructive path. Not so in September 2024, when the winds and rainfall of Hurricane Helene devastated the town. Its two rivers, the French Broad and the Swannanoa, crested at record levels—surpassing an historic 1916 flood—and as the rivers swelled, the flooding knocked out roads, power, communications networks, and even the drinking water supply for weeks, stretching to months.
Not only were houses destroyed—our 47th season documented five house revival stories—but Asheville’s thriving tourism industry took a big hit. Asheville is known for a vibrant arts community centered around the River Arts District, dozens of the best craft breweries in the country, and such iconic buildings as the 1895 Biltmore Estate and the 1913 Grove Park Inn. Today, although tourism has not fully returned to pre-Helene levels, the Blue Ridge Parkway—itself a landmark and tourism attraction—is once again open as a beautiful gateway into the city and some 90% of Asheville’s businesses have opened their doors. Here’s a look at where things stand as our TV crew rolls into town.
Arts
A major part of Asheville’s creative spirit—and tourism appeal—can be found along the French Broad River in an area known as the River Arts District (RAD). Starting in the late 1980s, artists had moved into abandoned industrial buildings along the river and by the time of Hurricane Helene, more than 700 artists had studios, galleries, and small businesses in the area. As a result of the flooding, most working artist studios were lost and many businesses struggled for months.
Today, fortunately, RAD is very much open for business, with milestones of the recovery including the reopenings of Wedge Studios, which houses more than 30 artists’ studios, and Marquee, a 50,000-square foot warehouse-turned-market filled with antiques, vintage and artful decor, jewelry and craft.
Asheville’s arts community is particularly well known to one of the homeowners whose house renovations TOH TV will be documenting this season: Melinda Self, a mixed-media artist. Her studio for years was located in Riverview Station, a 1902 building along the French Broad River, in the heart of the River Arts District.
Riverview Station was completely destroyed from Hurricane Helene’s flooding, a heartbreaking event for Melinda. “My amazing space at Riverview Station is gone for good,” says Melinda, “but the arts community is trying to build back up and find spaces for artists.” Adds her husband, Matt Self, an Asheville native, whose sister is also an artist: “I hope the town leadership do due diligence to recreate what was here before, and what makes Asheville special. Years ago, the river area had been abandoned and then artists moved in and soon you had the River Arts District. I just hope it doesn’t turn into a galleria.”
Breweries
An important element in Asheville’s tourism is its multitude of top-quality breweries—a result of its location near mountain-fed sources of clean water and its early start in the craft beer movement. Highland Brewing opened in 1994, when few Southern cities even knew what an IPA was, and early enthusiasts proved there was demand—which led more brewers to launch. By the early 2000s, Asheville already had a vibrant craft beer community—ahead of the national boom—and by 2015, major craft beers including New Belgium had opened in Asheville, validating it as a brewing capital.
Immediately following Hurricane Helene, craft beer pioneer Highland Brewing Company—despite losing water supply—became a community hub, distributing food and supplies. They launched a special beer with proceeds aiding local hospitality workers. Today, Highland Brewing is fully open and welcoming thirsty fans all day long.
Hillman Beer, a small, family-owned business featuring a pub style taproom and quality brewing, was severely damaged by flooding during the hurricane, and closed for nearly three months. After intensive cleaning and repair, the taproom reopened and is back to serving beer seven days a week.
Jim Bourdy, one of the homeowners whose house renovations our team is documenting, knows the Asheville brewing business firsthand, through his job working on the packaging line at New Belgium Brewery, and Jim previously worked at Highland Brewery. New Belgium sits on the banks of the French Broad River along a stretch of the greenway and overlooks the River Arts District. “New Belgium got flooded from Helene and had to rebuild, but is back at it again,” says Jim.
Landmarks
Mention Asheville, and most historic house fans will think of Biltmore Estate, the Chateauesque mansion built for the Vanderbilt family in 1895. Today operated as a house museum, the estate also features impressive grounds, designed by noted 19th century landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted. Despite flooding in low-lying areas near the entry, the estate’s main structures were mostly intact and it was able to reopen just six weeks after Hurricane Helene struck.
TOH landscape architect Jenn Nawada and TOH host Kevin O’Connor visited Biltmore, admiring its architecture and sheer size and also strolling the grounds—8,000 acres that include six gardens, a conservatory, and nature trails that wind toward the French Broad River.
A favorite for Jenn: the four-acre Walled Garden, known for its geometric beds filled with tulips in the spring, dahlias and sunflowers in the summer, and asters and ornamental grasses in the fall. “The variety of color is stunning and the grounds show off the original design by Frederick Law Olmsted,” says Jenn.
For TOH mason Mark McCullough, another Asheville landmark captivated his attention: Grove Park Inn, a massive stone structure built in 1913 from indigenous stone quarried on site. His favorite feature: the original two-story high, 36-foot-wide stone fireplace in the Main Inn. “This is the most amazing fireplace I’ve ever seen,” says Mark. “Not only is there Ben Franklin-style firebox perfection inside, the stonework is incredible when you consider that they used ropes and pulleys to lift the huge stone pieces into position.”
Immediately following Hurricane Helene, the Grove Park Inn closed for a short time due to infrastructure challenges including loss of power, water, and minor flooding. Having reopened in November 2024, the inn today is fully open and has continued to support fundraising efforts to help the entire Asheville community rebound.
One other landmark isn’t located solely in Asheville proper, but it plays a huge role in the area’s tourism: the Blue Ridge Parkway. A 469-mile long scenic highway running along the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains from Virginia to North Carolina, the Parkway passes through some of its most stunning and frequently visited sections near Asheville—with overlooks, tunnels, and trailheads offering access to waterfalls, hiking routes, and panoramic views. One of the Blue Ridge Parkway’s admirers is TOH plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey: “The Parkway was a Depression-era New Deal project and the work that went into it and the natural beauty all around is just stunning,” says Richard. “The views go on forever.”
Hurricane Helene’s wind and rain severely damaged the Blue Ridge Parkway, collapsing road segments, washing out roadbeds, and sending thousands of trees onto the roadway. The entire North Carolina segment of the Parkway was closed due to structural damage, debris, and safety hazards immediately after the storm, but by early 2025, some 300 miles had reopened; experts expect it to take up to two to three more years to repair everything. As Asheville tourism comes back more fully every day, the town is proving that community support and a love of distinctive attractions keep its spirit alive.
