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Helene's Aftermath and Recovery | Asheville News
Tropical Storm Helene left Western North Carolina in shambles, sparking an 18-month debris cleanup funded by a $10 million state grant and employing 80 trained crews. Tourism rebounds with a 15% jump in group bookings and a surge in voluntourism, even as the WNC Nature Center reopened early. Yet challenges loom: rising costs from tariffs strain local businesses, and 86% of small farms were damaged—with many older farmers lacking recovery plans. Infrastructure projects like the I-26 Connector advance amid community pushback on design changes, while the Blue Ridge Parkway faces a slow, costly…
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