Asheville hotels and restaurants reopening after Helene. Here's what's different

Parts of western North Carolina are reopening for tourists, with many hotels, shops and restaurants back in business. However, as communities continue to rebuild from Hurricane Helene, the vacation experience may be different for travelers.

Helene hit the mountains in late September, delivering deadly flooding and mudslides right when the leaves began to change color.

A month later, in the middle of the mountain tourist season, the water in Asheville is still not safe to drink, and some restaurants can't prepare or serve certain foods. Some hotels are still unable to host guests.

"Not having water has been detrimental to our hotels and restaurants," said Lynn Minges, CEO of the North Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association. "Many are shipping in water from other sources, paying exorbitant costs to bring in potable water put in cisterns to cook and serve to guests."

Jettie Rae's Oyster House in Asheville recently posted on social media:

"Outside our buildings, you will notice large water tanks. These are filled with 100% safe, clean, potable water. We’ve had new pumps installed so the clean water in these tanks can be fed directly into our buildings. We’ve also had UV filtration systems installed for an added layer of protection."

The restaurant posted a list of other Asheville restaurants open for business with potable water.

Another Asheville restaurant, Crab Du Jour Cajun Seafood, is offering guests canned soda, bottled water and a limited menu until the water is safe to drink and cook with again. An Asheville resident posted a photo of a drink with ice she purchased from a convenience store, writing that "not a store or restaurant in a 50-mile radius has iced drinks."

The city of Asheville is hard at work testing water to make it drinkable and safe, with crews installing water curtains to filter out chemicals, sewage and other toxins.

State Environmental Health Director Larry Michael said thousands of hotels and restaurants are still under a boil water advisory. That means the hotels that have reopened are offering bottled water for guests for drinking, washing their hands and brushing their teeth.

Restaurants without potable water are unable to serve certain foods, like salads or fresh vegetables that need to be washed.

"This is unlike anything I've ever worked on before," Michael said. "The way places operated months ago is not the same as today."

To help businesses reopen quickly, the state Department of Health and Human Services is asking them to submit Emergency Operations Plans.

Under the plan, hotels and restaurants must have the following steps in place before they can reopen:

• The facility is free from sewage or wastewater backing up
• The facility must be able to flush toilets
• Any food or ice prepared using non-potable water will be discarded
• Ice machines and water fountains must be off

Additionally, hotels and motels must have an approved power and electricity source available along with an approved water source for bathing, hand washing and laundry service.

The reopening of hotels is not only essential to tourism; it is needed for volunteers and people who lost their homes to Helene.

"Hotels and motels not only serve as lodging for people who are visiting, they also help volunteers and people who need temporary housing while their homes are being repaired from storm damage," Michael said.

Other tourist attractions are opening too. Grandfather Mountain opened Oct. 23, and Biltmore will welcome guests back Nov. 2 for the first time since Helene for its Christmas at Biltmore event.

Several of western North Carolina's ski resorts have also announced opening dates for the 2024-25 season.

Additionally, five state parks -- Crowders Mountain, Gorges, Grandfather Mountain and Lake Norman state parks, as well as Rendezvous Mountain -- reopened partially to visitors on Nov. 1, according to the state.

A new map shows what areas in western North Carolina are ready for tourists, and Visit North Carolina has a list of counties that are ready for tourists with tips for travelers. People traveling to the area need to plan ahead, checking hotel and reservations and reviewing the status of closed roads on drivenc.gov.

Many roads remain closed in the mountains, with these updates to major routes:

• I-40 is closed in both directions from Mile Marker 20 (US 276 west of Lake Junaluska) to Mile Marker 0 at the Tennessee state line.
• I-26 has reopened at the Tennessee state line with one lane open in both directions. Restrictions and detours remain in place for through truck traffic and wide loads.

How to help the mountains

WRAL News has a guide to how to help Helene survivors in western North Carolina.