AVERY COUNTY, N.C. (WITN) -Governor Roy Cooper traveled to Grandfather Mountain State Park in Avery County today to highlight the importance of tourism in western North Carolina.
Cooper was joined by native western North Carolina country musician Eric Church to assess damaged areas and speak with people impacted in Banner Elk.
“Today I visited beautiful Grandfather Mountain State Park in Avery County and traveled to Banner Elk to see areas that were damaged during Helene,” said Governor Cooper. “Tourism is a critical part of Western North Carolina’s economy, and there are still many wonderful spots in the region open and accepting visitors. I’m grateful for the work of our federal, state, and local responders as well as partners like Eric Church who have given time and effort to help communities in need.”
This week, Cooper signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Church confirming his commitment that publishing royalties from Church’s recent song, “Darkest Hour,” will help fund response and recovery efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.
The Governor’s Office says seven people are still unaccounted for after the storm. The Department of Public Safety Task Force has handed over the remaining work to local law enforcement.
Although parts of western North Carolina are open and welcome to visitors, the governor emphasizes that some roads are still closed because they are dangerous to travel and that other roads are reserved for essential travel.
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