Biltmore Village business owner says river went through building from Helene flooding

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — A business owner in Asheville’s Biltmore Village described what conditions look like following Helene. He walked into his business on Thompson Street to find the building destroyed.

“Right on the Swannanoa River,” said Thomas Young. “And we’re pretty certain that we were totally under water, and the river went pretty much through our building.”

Young owns Young Office, a commercial flooring and AV business. They design interior spaces for hospitals, colleges and other businesses. Now, their own office is totally unrecognizable.

“Devastating,” he said. “I don’t know any other way to put it. It’s just unbelievable that that much damage was done, and the water got that high that fast.”

It looks like water forced brush and debris through their windows. Inside, what looks like inches of sand cover the floors, a table and seats.

Outside, a tractor-trailer that doesn’t even belong to them is pushed up against the wall of their building.

“A lot of walls, chairs, office panel systems that are all destroyed and clearly floated up to the ceiling and come down wherever the water rescinded,” he told Queen City News.

Young has turned from talking with insurance adjusters to delivering supplies himself to help his employees who lost their property.

“We’ve got a supply truck going up, one of our trucks with supplies gathered from our multiple offices tomorrow,” he said, “and then be back up there on Monday looking for temporary space.”

Young says Biltmore Village looks the same as his property and wonders what its future will look like.

“Way too early to tell right now, I think,” he said. “Not all the damage has been assessed.”

Young says they feel fortunate all their employees in Asheville are OK, physically. Some have lost personal items, but the community has really come together to support one another.

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