After the devastation of Hurricane Helene the High Country banded together and worked to help those who lost everything. It was a very emotional time but it was also a time of hope as we saw the strength in our communities. In the wake of the storm, Blowing Rock was very lucky to receive minimal damage. Very quickly, many of our local businesses and our Town departments really stepped up and helped not only in our community but the surrounding areas as well. While there are countless people that should be on this list, here are some of the things Blowing Rock businesses did to help their neighbors.
Supporting Recovery
Chetola, Green Park Inn, Meadowbrook Inn, and The Inn at Ragged Gardens housed linemen at little to no charge as well as people who were displaced by the storm. Chetola even opened their pool bathrooms to locals who did not have water.
The Speckled Trout Restaurant & Bottle Shop and The Speckled Trout Outfitters ran on a skeleton crew and utilized their other employees to take supplies out to surrounding counties and hard-to-reach places. They led and coordinated additional volunteer efforts to help clear roads and improve access for affected residents.
David Barker (The Blowing Rock Market) and Sherri Furman (Take Heart) created a collection hub at the Exxon Station on the corner of Sunset and 321. Due to its easy access, it was a great place for people to drop off much needed supplies that could then be sent into the wider community. This became especially useful as official donation sites paused intakes as needs changed.
Local newspaper man, Sam Garrett, secured usage of the American Legion building here in Blowing Rock. He created a pickup/drop off hub for supplies to take some of the strain off of local food pantries that were also affected by Hurricane Helene. This collection site worked with Blowing Rock Cares, Casting Bread, and a partner site in Trade, TN.
Feeding the Masses:
Directly after the storm and into the following days, some of our local restaurants took it upon themselves to make a difference by doing what they do best… feeding people.
Myers Kitchen & Pantry opened Friday evening after the storm and offered Pizza to all town crews working, including firemen, policemen, and town crews. They charged locals a minimal fee to pick up pizza that night as well, and were one of the only places to get food that evening. Later, they held a fundraiser with Moondance Catering to benefit North Carolina Community Foundation Disaster Relief Fund, donating 100% of the funds recieved to the effort.
Cafe Violette held family style meals where affected residents could eat for free or for a donation to the restoration effort. Mexican Rock came through feeding all linemen, town crews, town employees, firemen, etc. They cooked up a big batch of ACP and fed everyone free of charge!
The Embers restaurant and the The Social on Main opened their doors the evening after the storm to provide locals with food. They had little to no staff, but they knew people would need places to eat since most of the area was without power. These were some of the few places locals could get food directly after the storm. Later, the Embers held a fundraiser benefitting the Hospitality House of Northwest NC.
Town of Blowing Rock- Lending a Hand:
Since cleanup and utility restoration in Blowing Rock was completed quickly, our Town deployed several crews out into the wider community to help our neighbors just days after the storm. The Police deployed to Old Fort, Fletcher, and Boone. Our Public Works teams helped NC DOT with road repairs, Montreat with water repairs, Boone with street and water repair, Watauga County with street repair, and Cove Creek and Todd with donation deliveries. Finally, our Landscaping department helped with donation delivery to Cove Creek and for the Hunger & Health Coalition.