Small businesses in Western North Carolina are still feeling the impact of the tourism downturn caused by Hurricane Helene, according to the latest regional survey by the nonprofit Mountain BizWorks.
Among the roughly 700 small business owners surveyed across 23 counties, more than four-fifths said their revenue remains below or on par with pre-Helene levels. About half said their revenue is down by more than 20%.
“In 2025, businesses across the region are still recovering from the devastating effects of Hurricane Helene,” the report states. “The storm significantly disrupted operations and impacted tourism revenue in a time of year that is critical to small business owners. Now, the majority of businesses are open and preparing for what the region hopes to be a season of growth this fall.”
According to the Mountain BizWorks survey, small businesses throughout the region reported a total of $188 million in physical and economic damage from Hurricane Helene. The average economic loss per business was $322,000. Of those surveyed, 83% said they had to close temporarily due to the storm — including impact from Asheville’s water crisis — with a median closure of 42 days.
“We didn’t have the ability to reopen due to lack of water for seven weeks,” the survey quotes one business owner saying. “We used all of our money to pay our bills and feed our community for free for 5 ½ weeks out of our food truck after the hurricane.”
Looking ahead, 46% of the survey’s respondents said they are “very confident” in their ability to fully recover; 37% said they are “somewhat confident;” 12% said they are “neutral;” and 5% said they are “not confident.”
The survey did not provide a number for how many businesses were forced to close after Helene. In downtown Asheville alone, dozens of businesses have closed in the wake of the storm.
“According to FEMA, 40%-60% of small businesses may permanently close after a natural disaster of the scale of Hurricane Helene,” the report states. “Thus far, Western North Carolina small businesses are exhibiting substantial resilience.”
Mountain BizWorks also highlighted the continued struggles of the tourism and hospitality sectors, which it noted “have been the most interrupted by Hurricane Helene.”
“Throughout the responses, business owners noted that great places to live are great places to visit,” the report states. “They stressed that our tourism recovery investments should be aligned with and advance local community needs.”
In recent weeks, there have been several promising signs for the region’s tourism economy as autumn approaches. The Blue Ridge Parkway has mostly reopened, with only about 20 miles expected to remain off-limits due to heavy damage from landslides. Asheville Regional Airport recently opened its new, 136,000-square-foot North Concourse. Greyhound last weekend restored inter-city bus service to Asheville, reconnecting Western North Carolina to the rest of the state. And hard-hit Chimney Rock State Park is once again welcoming visitors.
Even so, there is still no shortage of challenges amid the recovery. According to figures presented at the most recent Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority meeting, the number of passengers traveling through Asheville Regional Airport in May was down about 10% year-over-year. Lodging demand in Buncombe County was down about 15% in June. And the vacation rental market saw a 32% decline in revenue for the first half of this year compared with the same period in 2024.
The full 2025 Mountain BizWorks Local Business Impact Survey is available online here.
