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Helene destroyed an estimated 80% of Asheville's River Arts District

Buncombe County's creative economy accounts for $1 billion in annual sales and supports nearly 8,500 jobs, according to ArtsAVL.

ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Asheville's River Arts District is hoping it can rebound after Helene decimated one of the city's biggest economic drivers.

It's estimated that 80% of the River Arts District was destroyed by Helene, Katie Cornell with ArtsAVL said in an update Sunday.

She said the River Arts District included 26 warehouses and housed 300 artists. Buncombe County is the No. 1 arts district in the state and No. 47 in the country, according to a recent study. This is a huge part of Asheville's economy, as well as the county's.

RELATED: SHARE THE WARMTH: How you can help people impacted by Helene

"Our creative community is one of the things that make the Asheville area stand out from the rest," Cornell said. "Our artists and arts organizations are a major economic driver and revitalizer."

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