In the days leading up to Hurricane Helene’s arrival, Montreat experienced heavy rainfall from an unrelated storm system. Knowing that even more rain was on the way, Town of Montreat Public Works staff and Montreat Conference Center Maintenance staff worked to keep storm drains clear, in hopes that this would keep potential flooding under control. An emergency release valve was also opened on the Lake Susan Dam – preemptively lowering the water level by 17 inches. By Thursday evening, Lake Susan was already nearing capacity.
Programs that were taking place the week of September 22-28 were shortened due to weather concerns. Participants were encouraged to leave early if able. Roughly 50 guests and staff remained onsite, sheltering in the Assembly Inn during the storm.
Steady rain continued through the night and into Friday morning. Wind gusts increased as the eye of the hurricane neared, causing trees to fall and downing power lines throughout the region. With so much water in the valley and nowhere for it to go, intense flash flooding soon began. Widespread power outages began around 6:00 am and raged on until around 9:00 am.
During the storm, many roads and bridges in Montreat were damaged, due to fallen trees or other debris carried by flood waters into the roadways making evacuation dangerous or, in some cases, impossible.
Even once the rain and wind died down, flooding in the area continued to cause extensive damage. Around 10:00 am, water service ceased for most Buncombe County residents. While the Town of Montreat maintains its own water system, damage incurred by the storm caused a disruption in service for Montreat residents as well.
Each of these issues was exacerbated by an inability to communicate with the outside world. Cell phone and internet services in the region were largely non-exisent for weeks following the storm. Many individuals were without a way to contact loved ones, leaving them concerned about their safety post-hurricane. Additionally, this made it difficult for local officials to share safety instructions in the midst of the crisis.
By September 29, all guests were safely evacuated from the Assembly Inn. At that time, conference center staff who remained onsite began shifting efforts to focus on assessing damage, organizing support efforts, and making contact with neighbors who remained in the valley. Later that day, a supply of clean drinking water was delivered by members of First Presbyterian Church of Gastonia, NC, the first of countless churches, groups, and individual volunteers to provide assistance and supplies in the wake of the storm. The Cajun Navy 2016 arrived later that day and were housed in Reynolds Lodge, which served as their base of operations for the weeks to come.
In the days and weeks following the storm, the Assembly Inn became a central hub for community information and resources. As staff were located and began to make their way back to work, free meals were provided to staff and others doing work in the surrounding community. The Town of Montreat administrative offices were temporarily relocated to the Assembly Inn due to damage sustained at the town hall. Additionally, Montreat Conference Center housed several emergency, rescue, and recovery personnel while staff worked hard to communicate with guests and to create a recovery plan of our own. As the utility infrastructure, like water and electricity, in Montreat came back online, conference center staff were able to solidify plans for the future. An important milestone passed in November when the Mountain Retreat Association Board of Directors held their fall meeting in Assembly Inn. Over the last quarter of 2024, staff renovated damaged buildings, reopened recreation areas, and “returned to normal programming” with focus shifting toward the annual College Conference happening January 2–5, 2025.
As things normalized, our response to Hurricane Helene shifted from triage to stabilization by providing opportunities for groups and individuals to do restoration work in Montreat and the greater Swannanoa Valley through a partnership with the Fuller Center for Disaster Rebuilders. More about these volunteer and recovery opportunities can be found on our website.
