HURRICANE HELENE FAQs

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PROPERTY:

 

Did Wrong Way sustain damage from Hurricane Helene?

The French Broad River reached catastrophic levels during Helene, peaking at a record-breaking 24.6 feet (for context, flood stage is 9.5 feet). Wrong Way sustained flood damage in several cabins as well as the lower floor of the River Lodge, but we are happy to say that everything has been fully restored! We are heartbroken for some of our neighbors and friends in the river corridor that will have a longer road to recovery ahead of them, but we feel confident in our community’s resilience and determination to rebuild.

 

Are you open?

Yes! We are open! We reopened the Canteen in the River Lodge with the limited hours of 9am-5pm as of October 28th, reopened the un-damaged cabins for guest bookings as of November 1st, and fully completed renovations as of December 31st. We welcome you to come enjoy Asheville and be part of the revival!

 

What remediation steps have been taken for the flood-damaged structures?

As soon as access to the property was possible, the Wrong Way team started to assess what remediation work would be required for the cabins that were damaged during the flood. We successfully peeled back the layers so they could be safely cleaned, dried, and put back together. We are so fortunate to have Griffin Builders heading up the restoration work since they were our trusted general contractor on building Wrong Way 2 years ago.

For those of you wondering about the remediation timeline: We started remediation work in the impacted cabins within 48 hours of the flood waters receding. First, we removed anything non-structural that was touched by flood waters, including drywall, flooring, furniture, fixtures, and equipment (e.g. record players). The cabin interiors were essentially emptied and reduced down to the studs. We then had SERVPRO perform professional moisture mitigation and cleaning This included disinfection and dehumidification with commercial HEPA filters, fans, and dehumidifiers until a moisture meter confirmed that normal levels were reached. All structural surfaces, including the subfloor and wall studs, were then encapsulated with a commercial primer to prevent any future moisture issues. This level of remediation was a significant investment, but we knew it was critical to keep the confidence and expectation of future guests for a healthy and comfortable environment. This image gives you an idea of what one of the cabin interiors looked like during remediation.

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COMMUNITY:

 

How can I help?

We recommend supporting local relief organizations like BeLoved Asheville, Equal Plates, and Manna Foodbank that are feeding people in need. We also partner with local nonprofits like Mountain True, RiverLink, and Asheville Greenworks and recommend you follow their accounts or join their newsletters for recovery updates and opportunities to help the impacted areas.

 

What community members should I follow to stay up to date on Asheville’s progress?

We recommend following Blue Ridge Public Radio’s live blog, Explore Asheville's Travel Advisory page and IG page (@visitasheville), French Broad Riverkeeper Hartwell Carson (@fbriverkeeper), and our friends at @authenticasheville for updates and trusted resources. And of course you can get updates about Wrong Way by joining our Newsletter at the bottom of this page, or by following our Instagram or Facebook pages.

 

What is Asheville and the surrounding area like right now?

Many businesses and recreation parks in the river corridors, including the nearby River Arts District, sustained catastrophic flood damage and will take time to fully rebuild. Power, water, and road access have been restored to most of Asheville. While our downtown, lodging, and much of our hospitality infrastructure fared well, many popular destinations, including the Biltmore Estate and Blue Ridge Parkway were temporarily closed due to flood or wind damage. We are seeing progress, and the community members and relief workers continue to show up, day after day. We will need tourism and commerce flowing to help bring back the vibrancy of this creative community. We invite you to help us rebuild!

 

Are there other ways I can support Wrong Way during recovery?

We prefer that your immediate support go to heavily impacted WNC individuals/communities and Wrong Way staff, but other ways to support Wrong Way include:

1. The best way to help would be to book a stay at Wrong Way, 
2. Purchase a gift voucher for a friend or family member to stay at Wrong Way,
3. Purchase some online Wrong Way merch,
4. Spread the word that Wrong Way and Asheville are back and welcoming guests!

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PRESS:

 

I’m a journalist covering the impacts of Hurricane Helene. Who can I talk to?

Please reach out to our PR lead, Kelsey Burrow (kelsey@dearclivepr.com or 910-986-1121) for a quick response.