He also said increased traffic and visitors could drain resources from ongoing recovery efforts and put additional pressure on businesses that are not yet fully operational.
Some North Carolina state parks sustained significant damage from the storm and will be closed for several months, said Chris Ann Bonifacio, a spokeswoman for the North Carolina Department of Parks and Recreation. The main entrance bridge to Chimney Rock was completely destroyed, she said.
“We believe that for many state parks, rural areas and local economies, [they] It definitely revolves around visits to those parks and the people who come there,” Bonifacio said. “So it was a difficult decision to close everything west of I-77 until October.”
But Bonifacio said the top priority is people’s safety.
“We need the flow of commerce to maintain a residential population and a safe community,” Isley said. “We need commerce to reinvigorate this creative community.”
The Federal Emergency Management Agency announced that 40% of small businesses will not reopen after a disaster. Isley said the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority and the Town of Asheville are working toward recovery and are putting together unique ways people outside of Asheville can keep local businesses open.
This includes the new Love Asheville from Afar site where people can purchase items from local Asheville retailers, purchase gift cards and donate to businesses and nonprofits.
Angela Alexander, a local Asheville artist, lost her work stored at Marquee, an art gallery in Asheville’s River Arts District. Although the main studio was not flooded, some artists lost everything and tensions were high, she wrote in an email.
“My studio wasn’t destroyed, but [the hurricane] There will be no tourists for a while, so it will have a big impact on my business,” Alexander said.
Explore Asheville also created an emergency grant program called the Always Asheville Fund to support independent travel and hospitality businesses throughout Buncombe County.
Bonifacio said people planning to visit the area should first check reliable sources of information. For example, Visit NC’s map shows which counties you can and cannot visit. She said many hotels and other accommodations have also been reserved for first responders.
“People have been drawn to the mountains of western North Carolina for generations, and it’s especially hard to have Helen cut us off for the foreseeable future,” Eisley said. “We are encouraged by the spirit, courage, and determination that the Appalachian spirit continues to shine through.”
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