‘The Ground Just Gave Out’: How a Storm’s Fury Ravaged Asheville
A wave of transplants from retirees to artists has transformed western North Carolina, but after Helene’s historic flooding, a long boom is facing peril
Heavy rains from hurricane Helene caused record flooding and damage in Asheville, North Carolina.
Photographer: Melissa Sue Gerrits/Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
Eric Becker was at his vacation home in western North Carolina, in a community bordering the Pisgah National Forest and Blue Ridge Parkway, when the rain began to pour.
Becker, co-founder of the private wealth management firm Cresset, lives in Florida for most of the year. He had lived through a hurricane — but nothing like what he saw during Helene.