Helene devastation hurts western North Carolina's tourism economy, Airbnb owner says
Western North Carolina tourist hotspots hit hard this season following Hurricane Helene, Airbnb owner says
North Carolina Airbnb owner captures devastation left behind by Hurricane Helene
Footage shows damage to buildings and roads, and the ruins of the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge, a pedestrianized garden bridge over the Broad River maintained by community members, which was destroyed by the storm. (Credit: Banff Luther via Storyful)
October usually means big business for western North Carolina. Not only do many tourists enjoy what local mountain towns have to offer, but the area is the southern gateway to the U.S.'s most-visited national park, Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
That is all going to look different during this year's peak foliage season, Lake Lure Airbnb owner Banff Luther told FOX Business, as locals are on day four of recovery from the effects of Hurricane Helene.
"If you're going up there to try to stay, you don't need to go," he said. "But if you can go up there and drop water off, they all need water."
Luther, who calls western North Carolina home, had been spending the last two months living at a property he was renovating. He shared a now-viral video showing the devastation.
Hurricane Helene wreaked havoc on western North Carolina, as seen in footage taken by a local Airbnb owner. (Banff Luther via Storyful / Fox News)
"Chimney Rock’s gone. Flowering Bridge is gone," he can be heard saying in the footage. "I don't know what they’re going to do to get us out of here."
The Lake Lure Flowering Bridge is a local attraction by the Broad River maintained by a volunteer nonprofit organization, according to its website.
"I really had no clue this was going to be as bad as it is," Luther said, despite the fact that he had been following weather reports prior to the storm. "It was quite the shocking, traumatic thing to wake up and walk in town and see what I saw."
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Water gushes through the Chimney Rock area in western North Carolina on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024. (Banff Luther via Storyful / Fox News)
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABNB | AIRBNB INC. | 132.19 | -0.31 | -0.23% |
Powerful, dangerous floods took over following Hurricane Helene's heavy rains, causing the Broad River to burst from its banks.
Luther describes the landscape in the area as a "funnel" for water, where rain accumulates in the valley.
He was able to drive out of Chimney Rock on Saturday night, but said he did not get cell phone service until he was about two hours away.
"The only thing that was really our Godsend was Elon Musk and Starlink," he said, adding that is how he was able to share his video with the world. "Without Starlink, we would have been completely in the dark. That was our only access to getting word out."
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Locals woke up to flash flooding damage in Chimney Rock, North Carolina, on Sept. 27, 2024, after Hurricane Helene rolled through. (Banff Luther via Storyful / Fox News)
"Since the Hurricane Helene disaster, SpaceX has sent as many Starlink terminals as possible to help areas in need," Elon Musk posted to X.
Luther is now preparing to travel back to the area with any supplies he can fit in a trailer he rented.
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As for his business? He says all his rentals for October are now canceled.
"I'm watching my income evaporate, and it's adding to my traumatization," he said. "I think October's a wash, but getting into November, still think about coming up and helping the local businesses out.
Luther said locals need time but can and will bounce back. He also spoke about state transportation officials who tell drivers to consider western North Carolina "closed."
"I think they're sitting in a cushy office with air conditioning somewhere else but western North Carolina," he said.