A once-thriving wedding venue and flower farm in Swannanoa, North Carolina, is now a shell of its former self, as the community grapples with the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. The storm transformed the Swannanoa River from a gentle stream into a raging torrent, leaving devastation in its wake.
Jeanne Sommer, who had invested her life savings into the property near the river in 2007, watched as her business, Hidden River Events, was transformed from a thriving enterprise hosting 85 weddings a year into a shadow of its former self. The farm, which once generated about $2.6 million annually, was severely damaged, leaving her to cancel 64 planned weddings and face the loss of vacation homes and her flower shop.
“Most of the infrastructure for the event business was scattered all over the valley, and we spent a couple of months collecting that. I’m still cleaning as much as I can to try to recuperate that,” Sommer explained, highlighting the magnitude of the cleanup effort.
This week, Sommer was among a group of residents from the Swannanoa area who traveled to the General Assembly to appeal for immediate disaster relief. “We need all of it as soon as possible. We just have needs in every direction,” said Matt Barker, chair of Friends of Swannanoa, emphasizing the urgency.
Adam Wagner
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N.C. Newsroom
The N.C. House of Representatives approved a $465 million Helene relief package in May, which includes $75,000 in disaster grants for small businesses. However, the Senate has not moved forward with this package, with some members preferring to include it in the state budget.
Senate Pro Tem Phil Berger noted that a significant amount from previous relief funds remains unspent. Nevertheless, there is concern that integrating the relief with the budget could delay the distribution of funds. Rep. Lindsey Prather emphasized the urgency: “We don’t know how long the budget negotiations are going to take, and Western North Carolina needs help now.”
Relief funds: in budget or separate?
The debate over whether to include additional Helene relief in the state budget continues. Some, like Sen. Ralph Hise, argue for a comprehensive state financial review before allocating more funds. “There’s some things that we think there are universal agreements on that we need to spend,” Hise stated.
However, Senate Minority Leader Sydney Batch criticized using relief funds as a bargaining tool, expressing concern over the delay in urgently needed resources. “Why would we take something that is absolutely essential for North Carolinians and Western North Carolina to recover and use that as a bargaining tool?” she questioned.
Despite these discussions, if budget negotiations fail, there is a possibility that relief measures might be handled separately. “We may have to make decisions later if the budget process falls apart,” Hise mentioned.
‘Lots to be done’ but need visitors
In Swannanoa, Sommer’s business remains in a state of recovery. Her income this year is expected to be around $89,000, primarily from renting vacation homes to disaster relief workers. She has been using her retirement savings to support the recovery and is actively seeking grants to aid her business.
Adam Wagner
/
N.C. Newsroom
Sommer stressed the importance of tourism for recovery, noting that while damage remains visible, businesses are reopening and eager for visitors. “Even though it’s very disheartening still to see the damage, there are people that are open for business and that want tourism to come back to Asheville, to Black Mountain, Swannanoa,” she said.
She plans to reopen Hidden River by October or, if necessary, by April 2026, as the community continues to rebuild.
