What to know about Biltmore Estate reopening after Hurricane Helene

North Carolina’s Biltmore Estate is set to reopen soon after being forced to close due to devastating floods caused by Hurricane Helene. The historic estate, a popular tourist destination, announced plans to reopen on November 2, just in time to “celebrate the joy of the holiday season.”

“For more than 125 years, Biltmore has witnessed the resilience of this community,” the estate shared in a statement. “The compassion and resolve of our region have been rising every day from beneath the weight of this storm.”

On September 27, the remnants of Hurricane Helene wreaked havoc across the Southeast, flooding communities, wiping out roads, and leaving thousands without power. Asheville, North Carolina’s largest mountain city, was particularly hard-hit, with many of its main routes washed away or blocked by mudslides.

Rebuilding efforts after Helene are expected to be long and challenging. The storm, which made landfall in northern Florida on September 26 as a Category 4 hurricane, tore through Georgia, the Carolinas, and Tennessee. Nearly 250 deaths have been reported across the Southeast, including in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia.