[solemn music] - [Kevin] The morning of the hurricane, we got about between 11 and 12 feet of water inside the building.

- [Carter] We lost electric power all across the town.

So there was that moment of trying to figure out what to do.

Where do we go from here?

- [Shelton] That was a massive storm.

We're in the French Broad River corridor right here, and we had water levels up to 24.6 feet.

- [Kim] We lost about 80% of our studios in the River Arts District.

- [Deborah] The damage is hard to imagine, but on my recent trip to Asheville, I found a city well on the road to recovery.

- From day one, the grit and gumption of Western North Carolina has been on full display in that heart of hospitality with neighbors helping neighbors, restaurants opening their doors, hotels opening their doors to first responders.

- So all of us co-owners kind of got to this location to realize that the power was still on downtown.

So we said, "Let's get to work."

We started cooking food.

We started making coffee for locals.

We wanted to figure out a way to create a hub for people that were looking to help.

- To stay safe, well, first of all, we took care of our families and our little neighborhood that's connected to us.

And then once we were able to get back on our property, we started remediation so we could get open as quickly as possible.

- [Deborah] I met Vic Isley, president and CEO of Explore Asheville in the brand-new Moxy Hotel.

- We've made remarkable progress here on the ground in Asheville since Helene ripped through here in late September.

You know, Biltmore is reopened.

We have a new airport terminal on the way that will open this summer.

We've got great views.

You know, Asheville is really still stunning and still standing.

- One of my favorite spots to eat in Nashville was the Corner Kitchen in Biltmore Village.

Kevin, so how high did the water rise?

- In this flood, up to about, just below that leaf branch there just under the eave.

We have to replace the floors, and so that'll look new.

Things will look new and sparkling and just like it did before.

- But the food and the plates will still be just as delicious- - The food will be just like it always was and the staff, which is wonderful.

Most of them are coming back.

- [Deborah] After checking in to my adorable space at Wrong Way River Cabins and Lodge, owner Shelton Steele filled me in on his story.

- We were fortunate in that we had a really tight team of contractors that were able to help us get open.

So by November 1st, we were partially operational, and by December 31st before the end of the year, we were 100% operational.

- [Deborah] That's pretty remarkable.

- I know.

We're really proud of it.

- People really come together, huh?

- Absolutely.

- Asheville's famed art community, the River Arts District, was devastated by the storm, but the RADA Outpost offers new hope.

- We're super excited to be able to show the work of the River Arts District artists in downtown until we can rebuild and have our studio spaces working again.

There is a whole section of the River Arts District that is currently open, and people can go see artists blowing glass.

People can go see painters.

People can go see jewelry artists working.

But we also wanna give space to artists that are still unhoused and make sure that people can see their work.

- [Deborah] And the next morning, Carter James of Flour filled me in on how the town rallied to help.

- So we kind of created this volunteer-based system where people were bringing in food, water, medical supplies, diapers, things like that.

And then we had local volunteers that were willing to drive it out to Swannanoa, Black Mountain, down into the River Arts area, places that weren't able to leave their homes.

So we created this whole kind of ecosystem of donation-based volunteer system that was able to get supplies out.

- [Deborah] In West Asheville's historically Black neighborhood along Burton Street, DeWayne Barton, founder of Hood Huggers Tours, had to halt tours but stepped into an unexpected role helping with Helene's recovery.

- Originally when I got up that morning, my goal was just to go check on the elders, but then my neighbors, they start bringing me tons of supplies, like tons and more and more of supplies.

And then I had to say I had to be in distribution.

We had to find a church to store everything, and then we started going around seeing what people need and start distributing different products to different people.

And it kept coming, and it kept coming.

- [Deborah] Everyone I met had a message for people considering a trip to Asheville.

- You know, we are back on our feet.

It's gonna look a little bit different in places, but that's okay.

You know, we need your help, and we're inviting you back.

- We've always welcomed visitors here with heart, and that's what we ask visitors to return with.

So exploreasheville.com is really the best place for visitors to get their information from what's open, great itineraries for spring, and where they could also stay away from with people and places that are gonna need a little bit more time to heal here in Asheville and Western North Carolina.

- To find out more about Asheville's recovery from Hurricane Helene as well as updates on the city as it welcomes guests back, go to exploreasheville.com.