WCNC | Asheville's River Arts District cleaning up after Helene devastation @WCNC | Uploaded October 2024 | Updated October 2024, 21 hours ago.
Cleanup efforts are underway in Asheville's River Arts District nearly four weeks after Hurricane Helene devastated western North Carolina.
The River Arts District was among the areas in Buncombe County hit hardest by Helene, leaving studio owners picking up the pieces with an uncertain future. Jeremy Russell's studio is hardly recognizable thanks to Helene.
"I couldn't believe what I was seeing," Russell told WCNC Charlotte. "Like, I was trees that are 250 years old that were down."
"Probably 80% of the studios in the district [were damaged]," Torno said. "It's the number that I guessed immediately, and I've heard it elsewhere. I've been here for 35 years and it has been a very fruitful place, but this flood event is a demarcation point."
As artists continue to pick up what's left and find a way to start over, many are confident the River Arts District will rebound into something Asheville can be proud of.
"We don't have any idea how it's going to go, but we are creatives," Torno said. "We are resilient, we will figure it out." #Helene #Asheville #News
READ MORE: wcnc.com/article/weather/hurricane/helene/asheville-north-carolina-river-arts-district-storm-damage-cleanup-recovery-efforts/275-932ba3e5-53e6-44f8-98ee-3495bb562868
Cleanup efforts are underway in Asheville's River Arts District nearly four weeks after Hurricane Helene devastated western North Carolina.
The River Arts District was among the areas in Buncombe County hit hardest by Helene, leaving studio owners picking up the pieces with an uncertain future. Jeremy Russell's studio is hardly recognizable thanks to Helene.
"I couldn't believe what I was seeing," Russell told WCNC Charlotte. "Like, I was trees that are 250 years old that were down."
"Probably 80% of the studios in the district [were damaged]," Torno said. "It's the number that I guessed immediately, and I've heard it elsewhere. I've been here for 35 years and it has been a very fruitful place, but this flood event is a demarcation point."
As artists continue to pick up what's left and find a way to start over, many are confident the River Arts District will rebound into something Asheville can be proud of.
"We don't have any idea how it's going to go, but we are creatives," Torno said. "We are resilient, we will figure it out." #Helene #Asheville #News
READ MORE: wcnc.com/article/weather/hurricane/helene/asheville-north-carolina-river-arts-district-storm-damage-cleanup-recovery-efforts/275-932ba3e5-53e6-44f8-98ee-3495bb562868
