Asheville's River Arts District is Open Once Again

Описание: LEGEND REFERENCE: RED = 12/31/2024 ... GREEN = 12/31/2025 ... YELLOW = 2004 Ivan and Frances

The River Arts District was my old neighborhood for 25 years. I restored a now 121 year old home along with a 1920's home that was once a neighborhood store. I found receipts from the 20's and 30's under the attic floor. Every old building in Asheville that has anything to do with food, I've got receipts from. It took 3 months to get back to my former beloved neighborhood after the storm.

Photos:
Steve Nicklas, NOAA/National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Jeff Palmer
Public Domain

Rebuilding the Clinchfield Railroad Series:
   • Rebuilding the Clinchfield Railroad  

The three floods compared:

1916 — Great Flood of 1916 (benchmark event)
Rainfall
~20–24 inches total over ~5 days (July 1916)
Some nearby mountain locations: 30+ inches
Two back-to-back tropical systems caused the rainfall.
River levels
French Broad River (Asheville): ~23.1 ft crest
River widened from ~380 ft → ~1,300 ft in places
Remains one of the highest recorded stages.
Physical impact
80+ bridges destroyed in western NC regionally
Railroads shut down across the mountains
Entire towns isolated for weeks
Massive track washouts and landslides
Considered the defining flood benchmark for western NC
Why it matters
Set flood planning standards for a century.

2004 — Hurricanes Frances + Ivan flooding
(Two storms hit within ~9 days in September 2004.)
Rainfall
10–16 inches widespread in western NC
Some mountain areas: 18–20 inches
Ground already saturated from the first storm when the second arrived.
River levels
French Broad River approached major flood stage (~20 ft range in Asheville).
Some tributaries set local records.
Physical impact
~4,000+ structures damaged in western NC
Major road washouts and landslides
Dozens of bridges damaged or destroyed regionally
Major flooding in Biltmore Village and river corridor
Led to updated flood maps and hazard planning.
Why it matters
Modern infrastructure warning — showed continued vulnerability.

2024 — Hurricane Helene flooding
(Late September 2024 — catastrophic inland flooding across southern Appalachians.)
Rainfall
10–20 inches widespread across western NC
Some mountain areas: 20–30+ inches
Extreme rainfall rates over short periods.
River levels
Multiple rivers reached or exceeded major flood stage.
French Broad and Swannanoa river systems produced catastrophic flooding.
Many locations approached or rivaled historic flood levels.
Physical impact
Widespread infrastructure failure (roads, rail, utilities)
Entire communities temporarily cut off
Hundreds of landslides across the region
Severe damage to transportation corridors and river industrial zones
Long-term rebuilding of rail and highway systems.
Why it matters
Largest modern regional disaster since 1916.