Standing next to Spring Creek in the tiny mountain town of Hot Springs, it’s hard to imagine a flood. The mountain creek is only a few inches deep, and many of the scars of Helene have faded from its banks.
But in September 2024, Spring Creek carried massive amounts of water through downtown Hot Springs, about an hour north of Asheville near the Tennessee line. One of the hardest-hit businesses was the resort and spa known for its mineral baths that have drawn visitors for 200 years — an attraction that gave the town its name.
“We lost three-quarters of our mineral baths, two-thirds of our lodging, our entire hot water system,” General Manager Heather Hicks said. “It was epic, absolutely epic.”…