BANNER ELK, N.C. — Most of Banner Elk's restaurants and shops reopen this week after nearly two months of recovery and repair efforts following Helene.
Town officials said business owners in the area are excited to return to work ahead of the busy holiday season. The town's new Holiday Stroll map highlights shops, restaurants and activities that have reopened in the walkabout in downtown Banner Elk.
Director of Banner Elk Tourism Authority Nancy Owen told WCNC Charlotte it will be crucial to get people in the door, as the area relies heavily on traffic at its ski resorts at Sugar Mountain and Beech Mountain.
"Our holidays are a very busy time up here, and we hope that people will remember us during this time and know that we are open and that our restaurants and our businesses have lost the busiest season in leaf season in the month of October, and that we are back open, and that we are ready for everyone to come visit us this holiday season," Owen said.
Western North Carolina's rich fall foliage display peaks at the highest elevation in late September and early October, gradually progressing to the lowest elevation by late October and early November. Peak season occurs around mid-October, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
Much of that precious visitation time was devasted by Helene, Owen said.
"It's a huge economic hit to our businesses, and they are hurting, and our restaurants are hurting, our lodging partners are hurting," Owen said. "We just want people to know that we are back open and we need you. Our businesses need you."
Despite the town being mostly open, many areas of Avery County are still recovering from Helene including some still without clean water and still not accessible to the outside world. The town is asking tourists visiting Banner Elk to keep that in mind during their visit.
"They're still a lot of debris everywhere," Owen said. "The roads are not fixed, and quite frankly, those parts of the county aren't accessible right now. We ask people to just stay on the roads and in the areas that are open, and to be mindful that there are a lot of people in our county that are hurting and that have lost everything, including loved ones, and there are still a few people missing.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency announced last week that residents in 67 counties, including Avery County, will now have until Jan. 7, 2025, to apply for assistance.
FEMA funding can be used to help with serious needs, displacement, temporary housing, basic home repair costs, personal property loss and other disaster-caused needs.