When Hurricane Helene reached western North Carolina on Sept. 27, 2024, it brought with it unprecedented winds and rain that devastated a mountainous region not typically impacted by tropical weather.

A year later, the damaged communities are largely cleared of debris and many businesses are back up and running. But a full recovery will take years as the ripple effect of the storm continues to impact infrastructure, ongoing building repairs and a landscape permanently changed by torrential flooding.

Jeffrey Dorfman, Hugh C. Kiger Distinguished Professor of Agricultural and Resource Economics at NC State University, recently sat down to talk about the historic impact Hurricane Helene has had on western North Carolina, how the area’s economic recovery is going — particularly for the agricultural industry which experienced massive damage to fields, crops and facilities — and what challenges still lie ahead. 

Overall, how did Hurricane Helene affect western North Carolina’s economy? 

Helene impacted western North Carolina’s economy in almost every way possible. Farms were damaged, homes were destroyed, businesses suffered damage and long closures due to the lack of utilities or passable roads, and tourism revenue was lost. According to the North Carolina Office of State Budget and Management, damage cost estimates have ranged as high as $59 billion if you include money needed to be spent on repairs. Damages, lost revenue, and repair estimates for agriculture run as high as $5 billion.

What was the hurricane’s impact on farms and the agricultural industry in the region in the weeks and months following the storm? 

Western North Carolina is home to a large number of small farms, focused on cattle, fruit and vegetables (often organic), and Christmas trees. These are exactly the sort of farms that are least able to bear such burdens, as smaller farms don’t have the same access to capital as large ones. Equipment was damaged or lost, infrastructure (barns and fences) was destroyed, crops were washed away (especially fall vegetables and Christmas trees), and then the difficulties in travel meant a loss of access to both markets and customers. People had to focus on surviving and slowly rebuilding as they could.

What economic challenges are the region’s farmers and agricultural industry still facing a year later? 

The main economic challenges to western North Carolina farmers today are regaining their customers and replacing lost equipment and infrastructure. Many farms earn significant revenue from pick-your-own or roadside stand-type operations, and if tourists don’t return, their revenue potential is limited. Infrastructure will take years to replace, and financing the replacement will be difficult for most farmers unless the aid keeps flowing. Many farms had soil damage with mudslides destroying their fields or making the soil less productive and harder to work which could lessen their yield. Christmas trees take years to grow, so if the stock that was ready or near ready for market was wiped out, farmers will have to invest years to get back to a normal, steady annual production.

How do these agricultural losses and challenges ripple out to affect everyday North Carolina families and local businesses?

In western North Carolina, if farmers are struggling financially, many smaller towns will also struggle as farm families represent a significant source of local spending. The aid that the state government has been providing to western North Carolina means there are fewer funds available for everything else that the state might want to do, likely for several years to come.

What factors will be most important in helping farms and the regional market rebound?

The keys to recovery will be No. 1: restoring the infrastructure, including roads and farm assets that were lost; No. 2: regaining tourism spending in the region, particularly restaurants, so that there are local customers for the farm products of the many smaller, local farms; and No. 3: providing advice on how to adapt agricultural practices on soils that may now be different agronomically than they were before.

What does the long-term outlook look like for the region’s agricultural economy? 

I believe that western North Carolina and the region’s agriculture will fully recover as the residents are tough and the area is too beautiful for tourists to stay away from permanently. Restaurants and tourists are already coming back (I have been myself !!), and I expect that to continue. A full recovery may take five to 10 years, but if the federal and state governments maintain some support, western North Carolina will come all the way back.

This post was originally published in College of Agriculture and Life Sciences News.