Afar's cofounders spent three days on the ground in the North Carolina mountain town and came back with a reminder of the positive impact travel dollars can have.
The Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority has previously estimated that the impact of lost visitors after Helene could lead to a $584 million loss in revenue.
According to the National Weather Service, Friday and Saturday, Jan. 10-11, are expected to bring even more freezing temperatures and wintry precipitation to the Western North Carolina area.