Asheville’s River Arts District Confronts Aftermath of Hurricane Helene

An estimated 80 percent of buildings in the North Carolina neighborhood have been damaged by flooding.

Asheville’s River Arts District Confronts Aftermath of Hurricane Helene — Dr. Carly Brown at her medical practice near the River Arts District of Asheville on Oct. 4, 2024. Richard Moore/The Epoch Times

10/9/2024|Updated: 10/9/2024

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Hurricane Helene dealt Asheville’s historic River Arts District a heavy blow, with an estimated 80 percent of its buildings damaged by a record wall of water from the French Broad River.

When the river rose to 24.67 feet, it instantly took works of art, studios, and the incomes of hundreds of artists involved in painting, photography, pottery, glassblowing, glass and metal work, sculpture, and printmaking.

The once-lively North Carolina neighborhood is still busy, but not with customers or tourists. Rather, it is volunteers, artists and business owners cleaning up the toxic, muddy mess left behind.

One businesswoman handed out a protective mask warning that the area was unsafe as the mud was a mixture of chemicals, excrement, and other unpleasant substances.

Asked if she would reopen her business, her answer was a decisive “no.”

People posting to Facebook have labeled the catastrophic event as “painful,” “depressing,” and “sad” and have said they are “heartbroken.”