Catastrophic Flooding Submerges Biltmore Village: ‘Heartbreaking Situation’
The Biltmore Estate, located in Asheville, North Carolina , was the filming location for Hallmark's hit 2023 movie, 'A Biltmore Christmas.' In late September, numerous locations in Asheville — including the Biltmore Estate and Biltmore Village — were impacted by torrential flooding from Hurricane Helene.
In a social media post, Biltmore Estate's official account shared that this is a "heartbreaking situation."
More than 100 people died from the hurricane, and as many as 600 might still be missing, AP News reported on September 30. Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida on Thursday, September 26, as a Category 4 storm, and then flooded multiple states as it moved inland. Numerous residents were still stranded without power or cellular service, many without water or food, on September 30 as main roadways were washed away or blocked by mudslides, AP reported.
Aid groups and government officials are on the ground, bringing in supplies by truck, air and mule, AP reported.
Biltmore Village Was Submerged in 25 Feet of Water
Biltmore Village did not escape unscathed. Citizen Times reported that the village was submerged under almost 25 feet of water. The catastrophic flooding happened after the French Broad River overflowed.
According to Biltmore.com , the estate was built on the lower slope of Lone Pine Mountain. The village is located just outside the Biltmore Estate mansion, according to WRAL .
Drone footage of the catastrophic flooding, including Biltmore Village, can be seen in this video from the Tennessean.
Fox Weather reported that the first floors of many buildings in the village were destroyed and residents who weren't able to evacuate were trapped.
Biltmore Village is a community of shops, residences and restaurants, according to its website . Some of the first cottages were built in the 1900s to provide homes for Biltmore Estate workers. The main street and first shops opened in the historical village in 1910. The village suffered extensive flood damage in 1916 from two hurricanes, and it was flooded again in 1940.
A Cathedral That Had Escaped Devastating Floods Before Was Hit This Time
A note on the Biltmore Village website, written prior to the most recent flood, reads: "Biltmore Village has weathered many floods, several quite devastating, throughout the years, but interestingly enough, the Cathedral of All Souls has not flooded once."
Unfortunately, this time is different. On their Instagram page , the Cathedral shared photos of the flooding and damage.
They asked readers to pray for people who are frightened, suffering, and for the first responders. The church launched a GoFundMe fundraiser for the Cathedral community and its neighbors. On Facebook, they shared that their church insurance is already working on their claim.
The Biltmore Estate Is Closed & 'Assessing Damage'
On September 30, the Biltmore Estate posted an update on its website noting that it was temporarily closed.
"We are assessing damage from the storm and will update this page as we work to safely reopen," the webpage reads. They also noted that cellular service and Internet access is also impacted, so it may be tough to reach the estate at this time.
The estate is the location where Hallmark's movie was filmed, which starred Bethany Joy Lenz and Kristoffer Polaha .
An separate post on X indicated the estate would be closed through October 3.
An Instagram post from the Biltmore Estate's official account provided more details.
They wrote, in part: "This is a heartbreaking situation for our community and region. The safety of our guests and employees is our top priority, and we appreciate your patience as we assess the damage of last weekend's storm and work to repair communication channels.Please continue to check our website for important information on closures and cancellations, local resources, and employee updates: www.biltmore.com/weather-update."
