Rural NC business talks about conditions three weeks after Helene

GREENVILLE, S.C. (FOX Carolina) – Businesses and residents are now regaining power in rural areas of Western North Carolina after Duke Energy brought electric poles in via helicopter.

The owner of Big Lynn Lodge in Little Switzerland says he hopes to reopen to the public Monday. But it has been a long journey to get here. The town is located north of Marion, high up the mountains. He says 80 guests were staying at his motel when Helene hit.

“The day after when people found out we had cell service some of our people went downstairs and opened a daycare so the children could be down there while they talk on the phone and that worked really good,” Big Lynn Lodge owner Hoyt Johnson said.

Johnson says at one point they had 500 people at his lodge because they had cell phone service. He says luckily nobody near him was hurt during the storm. But due to mudslides and road conditions, many were stranded for several days. Now he says everyone who wanted to get out has been able to and they just got the power restored thanks to Duke Energy. Johnson says the toughest part is that so many people lost their homes during this storm.

“Our staff were here because the sheriff asked them to leave where they live and when they finally were able to get out they had nothing to home to go to, it just washed away,” Johnson said.

The fall season is their busiest time of year because he says they are right off the Blue Ridge Parkway. Johnson says they are booked years in advance and now they are losing all that money. They have also had to refund people who couldn’t come due to the storm. But he says starting Monday Big Lynn Lodge will be open to the public again.

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