WATAUGA COUNTY, N.C. — Nearly three weeks after Helene, some mountain towns are back to business while others are still rebuilding.
"The mountains are resilient," David Jackson, president and CEO of the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce, said.
Still, this is a time for tourists to tread lightly.
"The core areas of Boone, Blowing Rock, and West Jefferson are welcoming visitor traffic," Jackson said. "A lot of the places that we know and love so much here in the mountains are tucked away, maybe hidden away off the beaten path, and those are the places that are still very much trying to recover."
Jackson said Helene hit just before the busiest season in the High Country.
"Certainly leaf season is a big draw," he said. "October is one of the top, if not the top month for tourism spending in the entire year."
Local businesses need support this time of year, but it won’t be business as usual for some still picking up the pieces after Helene.
Jackson said to plan ahead. A day trip may be welcomed, but an out of town, overnight stay in the mountains might look different.
"A lot of our hotel infrastructure, those folks really stepped up and have been helpful to the displaced families and FEMA workers and other aid workers that are here," he said. "So our occupancy is just a little bit different than it would normally be at this time of year."
But even after Helene’s destruction, Jackson said businesses are bouncing back every day.
"It’s some people’s vacation spot, but it’s our life," he said. "We've got to take care of us and then we’ll take care of everybody and we’re making good strides to be able to do both of those things."
If you have plans to visit Boone, the Chamber of Commerce encourages people to support local where you can, but stay away from areas still recovering, particularly in north and western Watauga County. If you had to cancel your trip or want to support businesses that are not open yet, consider buying a gift card or online merchandise and amplifying their social media pages.
The Boone Area Chamber of Commerce made a Facebook post recently to have local businesses update the community on their progress in the comments.
Contact Destiny Richards at drichards5@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.