Asheville, North Carolina, resident Barrett McGrath on the damage from Hurricane Helene and the recovery response from local communities and the state.
The area near the historic Biltmore Estate, in Asheville, North Carolina, was devastated by Hurricane Helene, closing the famous landmark until at least Oct. 15.
The nearby town of Bilmore experienced major flooding when the Swannanoa River and other waterways flooded streets and businesses, although the estate itself was not reported to have sustained significant damage.
The largest privately owned home in the US, built during the Cold War by George Vanderbilt, grandson of shipowner and industrialist Cornelius “the Commodore” Vanderbilt, is now a popular tourist attraction and family business.
The fourth and fifth generations of Vanderbilt descendants run the day-to-day operations, along with more than 2,000 employees. This 8,000-acre property has shops, restaurants and lodging, and also hosts events.
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The Biltmore Estate, the largest privately owned home in America, built by George Vanderbilt between 1889 and 1895, is one of the top tourist attractions as viewed on Oct. 20, 2016, in Asheville, North Carolina. | Getty Images
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Biltmore Village in Asheville, North Carolina
Before and after Hurricane Helene
Biltmore Village appears in 2020. | MAGN
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As of Friday, this storm had claimed the lives of 230 people and many residents are still missing. In a message to employees, Biltmore said, “We know that communication is very limited and we want you to know that your safety and well-being is our highest concern. Please continue to check here for closure details until we can fix our internal communication channels.
“We appreciate your patience as we work through this issue together, and we are committed to providing updates as they become available.”
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Editor’s note: The story has been updated to clarify that the flooding damaged Biltmore Village rather than the Biltmore Estate.