One year after Hurricane Helene tore through the mountains, recovery is still a verb used daily. It looks like the doors of a coffee shop are propped open again, a wheelchair ramp leading to a tiny front porch, and red vests in the aisles that only recently reopened to customers. Here's how Lowe's was there to help.
The Small Business Owner
When floodwater swamped Asheville's River Arts District, High Five Coffee's riverside shop went dark. In the weeks that followed, Lowe's partnered with Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) to create the Lowe's Western North Carolina Small Business Recovery Fund, offering 100 grants of $20,000 to help owners cover payroll, rent and tools while they rebuilt. High Five Coffee founder Jay Weatherly was among the recipients. His plan then was to bring the riverside shop back by spring — and today that location is up and running once again. Jay recalls that on opening day in late May, lines were out the door from open to close.
This place holds something pretty special for a lot of people and opening it back up, it was a sign that we finally made it. There are a lot of businesses that didn't get to reopen their doors, so I felt very fortunate to flip our sign to "open" again.
Tiny Homes, Big Impact
Through Lowe's partnership with the Appalachia Service Project, over 100 tiny homes were built and delivered to residents displaced by Hurricane Helene's damage. The eight-by-16-foot units served as a temporary bridge, allowing families to remain on their land and in their communities. The process of getting people back into their homes is ongoing, but Lowe's and ASP remain committed to the mission.
“It's a marathon, not a sprint, really, I think my big plea to the community, to those that have been amazing, to let their hearts be moved and to put resources of money, time into this region, don't stop. Stick with us. We need help for the next phase of the recovery. It's been a year. We've gotten some done. There's so much more left to do.”
Repaired, Reopened
Helene's floodwaters smashed windows, buckled the garden center roof and left feet of mud inside Lowe's East Asheville. After operating from a pop-up location, the store reopened on May 2, greeted by customers, local leaders, and over 100 associates returning to their home store. "The store was total destruction," Store Manager Joe Strong said of those first days, a sentiment that now reads like a before-photo beside a brightly lit after.
Today, the team serves neighbors in the new and improved building.
Since Hurricane Helene, this store has proved what an integral part of the community Lowe's can be. From providing our Pros with essential rebuilding and repair materials to just being a sounding board for our every day customers and their needs. We've shown up for the community, and in turn the community really shows up for us.
How Lowe's showed up for neighbors
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Relief funding: Lowe's committed $2 million within days of landfall, then added $10 million more as the scale of need grew, bringing the total pledge to $12 million in the first weeks. By spring, Lowe's had invested nearly $14 million across Helene and Milton recovery, reflecting sustained support as communities moved from muck-outs to rebuilding.
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Small business recovery: Launched a $2.5 million Western North Carolina Small Business Recovery Fund with LISC, awarding 100 grants of $20,000 to keep local employers afloat and speed economic recovery. In addition, Lowe’s purchased 3,000 family-style Thanksgiving meals from local caterers and restaurants – handing the meals out at stores across the impacted area. On Small Business Saturday, Lowe’s hosted an artist market pop-up store for artists, heavily impacted by Helene, to sell their wares. Artists received grants to help pay for
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Temporary housing: Accelerated the build and purchase of 100 tiny homes, including ADA-accessible units, in partnership with BeLoved Asheville, ASP and a coalition of builders and volunteers. Lowe's later announced an additional $2 million in recovery programs, with $1 million directed to more temporary housing and funds for workforce training and veteran repairs. Ultimately, Lowe’s built and delivered 130 tiny homes – all still in use today.
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Associates and volunteers: Deployed emergency response teams and hundreds of red vests across the Southeast, hosted more than 40 Bucket Brigade events and kept stores stocked with essentials so communities could clean up and start repairs.
