Heart and soul washed away: Asheville’s small businesses struggle after Helene
Kathleen Wong- Hurricane Helene, one of the deadliest hurricanes in modern U.S. history, devastated Asheville, North Carolina.
- The tourism industry, a major part of Asheville's economy, has been severely impacted, with businesses forced to close and popular tourist destinations remaining inaccessible.
- Despite the devastation, the Asheville community has come together to support each other, with residents helping with cleanup efforts and donating supplies.
Brian Fetting and his childhood best friend Dan Juhnke put more than their life savings into their business, New Origin Brewing – they put their heart and soul into it. They personally renovated the historic building, learning woodworking and welding, and even made the tables and chairs that filled the space.
When the craft brewery opened in 2021, it quickly became a hub for locals and tourists alike. "People started as strangers, turned into regulars then turned into friends – it was an incredible community to be a part of," Fetting told USA TODAY. Tourists often stopped by to taste the local small-batch local brews, which weren't distributed or found anywhere else. "You could tell it's not a commercial operation," he explained.
When the brewers first heard about Hurricane Helene, they spent two days preparing for it, sandbagging thousands of pounds but still expecting some flooding inside the brewery. "We went to bed that night happy with our hard work," he said. "It's a bad situation but we might be able to make it through."
The morning Helene hit, on Sept. 27, New Origin was quickly gone. All that was left of the brewery was a pile of blocks and twisted metal. The floodwaters swept up a train car and sent it crashing into the brewery.
Considered one of the deadliest hurricanes to hit the U.S. in modern times, Hurricane Helene left unprecedented levels of devastation in its wake. Although the Category 4 hurricane weakened to a tropical storm by the time it hit North Carolina, it still brought deadly flooding, heavy rainfall and severe winds. As of Thursday, the death toll has surpassed 200, and thousands of people continue to be without power or water. Homes and businesses were flooded or severely ruined, if not completely.
Hikersurged to avoid parts of Appalachian Trail after Helene damage
For those whose businesses were impacted, the damage is twice as bad. "It’s tough on businesses, it’s one of those things if you had a business that impacted your home was impacted as well," said Fetting, whose home was also damaged by a tree branch that fell through the roof into his living room. "There's lots to do, we hope we can keep our homes after this, after the dust settles. And it's really scary."
Now the small business owners who make up the heart of Asheville – woven into the fabric of its vibrancy and unique character – are facing unprecedented challenges of incredible loss. Not only have many of them lost their homes, but their very livelihoods as well. Amid all the uncertainty, one thing is clear: the path to recovery will be a long one.
A hurricane like no other
Everyone knew a hurricane was approaching, but no one thought Helene would be so catastrophic.
In recent years, Asheville has risen as an up-and-coming travel destination, beloved for its eccentric arts and culture scene and especially by leaf peepers in the fall with the many nearby parks. In 2023, travelers spent a record-breaking amount for economy in Buncombe County, which encompasses Asheville. Roughly one in seven jobs is related to the tourism industry, according to a study provided by Tourism Economics to the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority.
"We’ve encountered hurricanes before, we’re well aware that hurricanes hit and it would come through and it would happen on an annual basis, but this one was just very different," Fetting said.
On the evening before the storm hit, Shane and Rachel Miller closed down their ax-throwing venue, Valhalla Indoor Axe Throwing, a little bit earlier to get home safely. "It was only just about then we hear this one's going to be a lot worse than usual, and that still doesn't even hold a card to what happened," said Shane Miller.
Valhalla Indoor Axe Throwing not only brought together a community of ax-throwers, but was a place where many wandering tourists stopped by for a spur-of-the-moment try at the sport.
Located in the Asheville Mall, the biggest shopping center in western North Carolina with dozens of specialty stores, Valhalla Indoor Axe Throwing isn't expected to reopen for at earliest a month, at least until water and power restored. "That's a healthy estimate, a very optimistic estimate," he said.
"Communities in western North Carolina, including Asheville and Buncombe County, are recovering after the devastating floods and aftermath of Hurricane Helene," said Vic Isley, CEO of Explore Asheville, in a statement to USA TODAY. "While our downtown, lodging, and much of our hospitality infrastructure fared well, most areas are still without power and water service, and early stages of recovery are ongoing in parts of our beloved community."
’This is definitely going to hurt’
The chance of rebuilding New Origin is unlikely at this point. Due to city codes, it's not possible for the building to be rebuilt the way it once was. "It's not a feasible project, we're stuck in this spot," Fetting said. Flood insurance is only going to cover about a third of what was lost, but their debt to the bank remains.
"We're going to have to find a way to pay back the bank with no assets to sell and a big bank loan," he said. Fetting and Juhnke recently launched a $300,000 GoFundMe asking for donations so they don't have to turn to selling their homes.
Countless other businesses were ripped to the foundation or even if still standing, everything inside destroyed.
To Shane Miller, the hardest part of the recovery process has been "watching so many of our friends within this community, within days of this storm making the decision they won't be reopening."
With leaf peeping a major time of year for Asheville's tourism economy, the city is going to feel the loss of travelers. The entire Blue Ridge Parkway and areas of Great Smoky Mountains National Park are closed indefinitely due to the hurricane's impacts, with the damage still being assessed. "This is definitely going to hurt," Isley said. "Our hearts and minds are focused on supporting our community right now and starting to lay the foundation for recovery in the days and months ahead."
Supporting the community
In the immediate aftermath, the Asheville community has joined hands in helping each other. The city is in a clean up phase – clearing debris or distributing supplies and resources – especially to rural areas, such as those only accessible by dirt roads.
"Businesses from manufacturing to hospitality need water and power to survive, just like residents. It’s heartbreaking but we will not be broken," Isley said.
Miller said he and Rachel feel fortunate compared to the rest of the small business community in Asheville. With Rachel's other job with the nonprofit United Way, the couple has been lending a hand to clean up efforts. But it's been "tricky processing what's been going on," Miller said, with emotions coming up "depending on the time of day."
Miller hopes travelers and supporters of Asheville can continue to help the community by donating supplies or to those recovery work. Some organizations to support are The Salvation Army of Asheville, MANNA FoodBank and United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County, according to Explore Asheville.
Fetting agrees there's a lot to do, but seeing everyone come together – whether it's passing out food and water, donating to the GoFundMe or helping to clean up a small business – has "been incredible."
"Keep an eye on Asheville and come back when the city is ready," Fetting said. "The city welcomes you back with open arms."