ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Around four days after Hurricane Helene swept through Asheville, business owners in the Biltmore Village area are working to rebuild. One business owner, Sam Souhail, said he lost around $350,000 worth of merchandise swept away by the flooding. That number also doesn't include the cost of damage to the building.
He put the condition of his business into a single word: "destroyed."
"Everything is gone. The water, I mean, our awning was above water. That's 26 feet worth of water," he said. "You just got to cry a little bit and then move on. No, it should not be the end. I mean, I hope it's not the end."
The National Weather Prediction Service said water from the Swannanoa River rushed into the Biltmore Village, causing floodwaters that reached over 26 feet high on Saturday.
"This was a different level that we never could prepare for," said David Ross, a landlord and contractor for Casablanca Cigar Bar. "The level of devastation that I've received as a landlord is beyond, I think, my understanding at the moment. I'm doing what I can because it's my community, my people."
Ross and Souhaim said now that the water has receded, they are trying to pick up the pieces with help from teh community. Souhaim said friends and customers have shown up to help them recover after the storm.
They also said they are focusing on the future.
"I'm hoping for the ability to rebuild and regroup and, again, I'm going to do my best to help my community because that's what we do in this circumstance, right?" Ross said.