From Staff Reports 

ASHEVILLE, N.C. — The economic impacts of Tropical Storm Helene are still lingering in Asheville, though the area is experiencing an uneven and gradual recovery.

 Recently released data highlights that, while infrastructure is mostly restored, small businesses and the critical hospitality sector continue to face deep financial strains.

Meanwhile, Western North Carolina’s recovery from Helene, which devastated the area on Sept. 27, 2025, could take 25 years, according to a prediction by Robert Hosford, the rural development director of state operations. (A separate story on Hosford’s projected timeline for the recovery of the area appears on Page A2.)

A breakdown of the current lingering economic indicators reflects the state of Asheville’s recovery. As for declining tourism and  visitor spending, tourism remains the primary driver of the local economy, but it has not fully returned to its historic peak, based on the following factors:

• Drop in spending: Visitor spending in Buncombe County dropped to $2.6 billion, showing a continued dip compared to the all-time high of $2.97 billion in 2023.

• Sluggish lodging performance: Hotel and vacation rental metrics remain soft. In early 2026, winter hotel occupancy was at 51 percent, marking an 11-point decrease from the previous year.

• Long-term slump: The county’s overall tourism spending levels are currently comparable to 2021, when the region was still trying to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Regarding small business financial gaps, independent businesses in WNC are carrying significant heavy debt and revenue shortfalls as follows:

• Operating at a loss: An Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce survey found that 32 percent of regional businesses are still operating below break-even levels.

• Widespread revenue hits: The same report noted that 76 percent of surveyed business owners estimated clear revenue losses directly tied to the storm.

• Profit setbacks: Local business development groups, such as Mountain BizWorks, estimate that the physical and economic damages effectively set some businesses back five to six years in total profits.

As for hospitality labor and housing bottlenecks, the job and real estate markets are recovering at highly mismatched paces as  follows:

• Job shortages: While general unemployment in Buncombe County dropped back down to a relatively stable 4.1 percent, the leisure and hospitality sector lags heavily behind. Employment in this industry remains nearly 10 percent below pre-Helene levels.

• Housing market slowdown: The real estate market has seen significant inventory and sales drops. A slow recovery in the short-term vacation rental market heavily dragged down overall home sales throughout the region.

As for ongoing aid and future outlook, local leaders have said that they remain optimistic as aggressive funding programs roll out to bridge the remaining economic gaps.

The City of Asheville launched a $14.6 million Asheville Recovers Together Small Business Grant Program to provide direct relief of up to $75,000 for local shops. 

Additionally, major sports bookings, group conferences and structural expansions at the Asheville Regional Airport are expected to help stabilize regional commerce over the next few years.

Meanwhile, Asheville’s tourism reportedly is experiencing an uneven recovery following Helene, although it is getting a major boost from a busy summer season and high-profile events.

Summer hotel occupancy has hovered around 70 percent to 73 percent, which is slightly behind last year and roughly 9 to 11 points below 2019 pre-pandemic levels.