ASHEVILLE — Four months after Hurricane Helene devastated Western North Carolina, businesses along Swannanoa River Road remain in crisis as road closures stall recovery efforts. Among those hit hardest is Monteath’s Auto, a family-run repair shop that served the Asheville community for 40 years.
Owner Bob Buchanan, a former UNC Asheville mass communication graduate, struggles with insurance disbursement delays, flood damage and an uncertain future.
“There’s two or three cars still in the river,” Buchanan said. “The insurance has taken entirely too long.”
Monteath’s Auto suffered severe damage during the hurricane, with flood waters raging well over the building. Despite flood insurance, Buchanan said the payout was insufficient to cover the extensive losses and could cost upwards of $300,000, not including the $25,000 to $30,000 worth of equipment lost to water damage and looters.
“I did have flood insurance for the building. It wasn’t really enough. They paid the max, but it’s still not enough to cover all the damage,” Buchanan said. “A lot of my electronic tools were ruined, so I left them here to show the insurance. A day or two later, they had been stolen.”
Buchanan said looters returned multiple times, exploiting the lack of power, security and alarms.
“We kind of boarded it up the best we could, but they knew there was no security,” he said. “It’s just aggravating.”
He said looters stole between $5,000 to $10,000 worth of tools and equipment.
The prolonged closure of Swannanoa River Road has only worsened the situation, cutting off potential businesses from passing traffic. Buchanan said he would consider relocating if the city offered to buy the property.
“A lot of my people are word-of-mouth and regular customers,” he said. “It helps to have people drive by and see my services.”
According to the North Carolina Department of Transportation, 1,427 total road closures have impacted commuters since Hurricane Helene and allocated $250 million to fund eligible repairs, including damage to I-40.
However, business owners like Buchanan’s don’t have a clear timeline for when Swannanoa River Road will reopen.
“It’s time to be doing some action,” Buchanan said. “I’d like to know if this road’s going to open, if I can rebuild or if they’re going to want this for one of their river projects. Get it in motion.”
Buchanan is not alone in his frustrations. Many other businesses along Swannanoa River Road are struggling with similar concerns, and the community has lost at least five automotive shops in the general area since the storm.
The storm’s impact has gone beyond just property damage. Buchanan said his shop still holds vehicles awaiting insurance decisions, leaving some owners in limbo.
“Some of these people with these cars are pretty desperate,” Buchanan said. “We’re not bringing them back, not giving them a solution.”
Gov. Josh Stein released a consumer alert for people buying used cars due to the many flooded and damaged vehicles during the storm.
“If the offer sounds too good to be true, it probably is,” Stein said.
Buchanan’s longtime friend Sharon Owen runs the GoFundMe campaign to help Monteath’s Auto rebuild. So far, it has raised $15,503 of its $25,000 goal.
“There is something about a family business that you can trust,” Owen said. “Monteath’s Auto has been around for three generations, spanning 83 years. It’s not like most dealerships that push the ticket whether you need it or not.”
Owen said Buchanan is a humble man who wants to return to work and help people like he did in the past.
The storm’s effects have rippled across Asheville’s automotive scene. Micah Abram, a former UNC Asheville student and retail parts professional at Advance Auto Parts on Merrimon Avenue, said he noticed a customer shift following the storm.
“With O’Reilly’s on Riverside Drive getting destroyed and not having another parts store in a 5-10 mile radius, we’ve had a massive uptake in customers but at the same time, the amount people are wanting to spend has gone down drastically,” Abram said.
The Advanced Auto Parts employee said he’s seen an increase in do-it-yourself repairs as fewer auto shops remain in the area and wait times are long for even routine services.
“We have had more DIY customers because there are fewer shops here now in Asheville, and people don’t want to spend their money somewhere expensive when they can fix it themselves,” Abram said.
More than 40% of small businesses affected by a disaster never reopen after the disaster, and an additional 29% go out of business within 2 years, according to FEMA.
Buchanan remains in limbo, waiting for clarity on whether his auto garage can stay or if it’s time to move on.
“I just wish they would expedite things,” he said. “I need to know so I can get it back in some form of order.”
