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Biltmore Estate announces reopening date after Helene

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ASHEVILLE, N.C. – More than three weeks after remnants of Hurricane Helene devastated western North Carolina, Biltmore Estate, one of the region's most popular tourist attractions and largest employer, announced it will reopen Nov. 2, the company said in with an explanation.

The historic Helene flood devastated parts of the Biltmore grounds, including the entrance and several low-lying buildings. Several of the property's animals were killed in the storm, a statement the property posted on social media said, adding that the vast majority of the animals were safe and accounted for.

Many of the attraction's other facilities, including the estate's gilded Biltmore House, conservatory, winery, gardens and hotels, sustained minimal or no damage.

The reopening marks the start of the holiday season for the 8,000-acre property, which employs about 2,400 people. While the Biltmore House, restaurants and other property attractions will be open to visitors, the company continues to clean up roads and wooded areas devastated by the deadly storm. The company said its hiking trails and outdoor adventure center will remain closed until further notice.

“We are incredibly grateful for the overwhelming support for our community and the determination of our first responders, utility workers and community volunteers,” Biltmore President and CEO Bill Cecil Jr. said in a statement. “As the recovery unfolds, the return of guests to Biltmore not only means we can open, but also brings critical support to our region’s economy to help employees, local businesses and friends in the area.”

No storm-related deaths were reported among employees, Marissa Jamison, a spokeswoman for Biltmore, said in an Oct. 19 email to Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. All staff were accounted for, although several employees lost their homes in the storm, Jamison said.

Some are also unemployed, at least temporarily.

Biltmore, one of Buncombe County's largest employers, cited “a significant decline in tourism that is expected to continue in the near future” and laid off an unspecified number of employees, according to Jamison.

However, the furlough is only temporary, she said, and employees will return to work “in phases following reopening.”

Helene made landfall on Florida's Gulf Coast on September 26 before racing inland, leaving a huge trail of destruction across the Southeast. The storm caused billions of dollars in damage and claimed at least 228 lives. This made it the deadliest hurricane since Katrina in 2005.

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