What to know about Biltmore Estate reopening after Hurricane Helene

The Biltmore Estate in North Carolina will soon reopen after being forced to close when flooding from Hurricane Helene devastated the area.

The popular tourist destination announced over the weekend that it plans to open on November 2nd and “celebrate the joy of the holiday season.”

“For more than 125 years, Biltmore has stood as a witness to the resilience of this community,” the Asheville-based property wrote in a statement. “Our region’s compassion and resolve have grown every day under the weight of this storm.”

Here are a few things you should know:

Why did Biltmore close?

On September 27, the remnants of Hurricane Helene devastated much of the Southeast as floods inundated communities, shut down roads and left thousands of people without power. North Carolina's largest mountain town remained largely isolated as many of the main routes to Asheville were washed away or blocked by mudslides.

Officials have warned that post-Helene reconstruction will be lengthy and difficult. Helene made landfall in northern Florida on September 26 as a Category 4 hurricane and quickly moved through Georgia, the Carolinas and Tennessee. The storm upended life across the Southeast, where nearly 250 deaths have been reported so far in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia.

Western North Carolina was hit particularly hard because the remnants of Helene met the higher elevations and cooler air of the Appalachian Mountains there, causing even more rain to fall. Asheville and many surrounding mountain towns were built in valleys, making them particularly vulnerable to devastating rains and floods.

It was the deadliest hurricane to hit the U.S. mainland since Katrina in 2005.

What damage did Biltmore suffer?

According to the Biltmore Estate, the 8,000-acre property was barely impacted by Hurricane Helene. In addition to the Biltmore House, the property includes a conservatory, winery, gardens and overnight accommodations, all of which suffered minimal or no damage to varying degrees.

Instead, some of the lower areas of the property were hit hardest by the storm. Notably, the entrance to Biltmore Estate was affected by flooding and is currently undergoing “extensive repairs.” The property's website says restoration efforts will include the removal of weakened cottonwood trees that lined the front gate.

Why is Biltmore a tourist destination?

The Biltmore Estate was completed in 1895 during the country's Gilded Age. Based on a 250-room French chateau built at the direction of George Vanderbilt, it is the largest private home in the United States.

Biltmore attracts an average of about 1.4 million visitors per year and employs nearly 2,500 people – all of whom were laid off after the storm, according to the property's website. The property is one of the largest employers in the Asheville area.

The mansion has rarely been closed to the public since it opened to the public. When Biltmore laid off most of its employees in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, the property said it was forced to close for the first time since World War II.