Rep. Chuck Edwards says WNC is already ‘open for business.’ Do residents agree?

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — Rep. Chuck Edwards sent out a post-Helene update stating that “all of Western North Carolina is open for business.” But, does the population agree?

Tops For Shoes’ general manager Dean Peterson seems to think so. Like much of downtown, the shoe store was not hit with major damage, leading to them to reopen faster than others.

It is great news for this side of town as they try to recoup what was lost.

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“October is a very busy month. Our busiest”, said Peterson. “A lot of it is coming from the people coming from the surrounding areas to see the leaves. So, we lost some of that but there are still some left in the trees. It didn’t all come down. We’ve still got color so we’re hoping we’re gonna get some late arrivals.”

But while the downtown Asheville area was spared from any major damage, the same cannot be said for every top tourist location.

“Currently, all of the North Carolina sections of the [Blue Ridge] Parkway are closed,”saidNaaman Horn of the National Park Service.

‘IT COULD BE A WHILE’: BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY REMAINS CLOSED DUE TO HELENE DAMAGE

In fact, attempting to drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway right now is dangerous.

There are nearly three dozen landslides,” he said. “Not all of them are severe, but there are a handful that have caused structural damage to the road and you’re on a steep mountainside, so when the landslides [are] below the road, you have to look at how you’re going to re-stabilize that road and get that back in place for folks.

Overall, the damage in Western North Carolina is extensive and will take years to fully rebuild. But in the meantime, Explore Asheville president Vic Isley says that the local economy could use the support.

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“I think business owners who have worked around the clock to open their businesses to sustain their workforce, they want customers walking through their front doors,”Isley said.

But when traveling to the mountains, Isley advises visitors to be patient and mindful of what they are going through and the effects that the aftermath of Helene can have on their trip.

To get the latest updates on the condition of Western North Carolina cities and counties, visit this website.