REPORT: America’s largest home — Biltmore Estate — badly damaged by Hurricane Helene

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From the New York Post: The Biltmore Estate, America’s largest home, has released a statement addressing the extensive damage caused by Hurricane Helene, which wreaked havoc across Asheville, NC, and the surrounding region.

“We are deeply grateful for the outpouring of concern for our region as communities face the aftermath of this storm,” the estate said in its statement, highlighting the damage that has impacted the 8,000-acre (12½-square-mile) property.

While the Biltmore House itself, along with the conservatory, winery and hotels, “received minimal or no damage from the storm,” other areas of the estate were not as fortunate.

“In forested areas, which is a large portion of the estate, wind damage is extensive to grounds and some structures,” the statement noted.

Historical information: Biltmore Estate is a historic house museum and tourist attraction in Asheville, North Carolina. Biltmore House (or Biltmore Mansion), the main residence, is a Châteauesque-style mansion built for George Washington Vanderbilt II between 1889 and 1895 and is the largest privately owned house in the United States, at 178,926 sq ft of floor space and 135,280 sq ft of living area. Still owned by George Vanderbilt’s descendants, it remains one of the most prominent examples of Gilded Age mansions. The estate was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1963, and remains a major tourist attraction in western North Carolina, with around 1.4 million visitors each year.

“Biltmore will remain closed through October 15 as we continue to assess how we will safely reopen,” the estate announced in a statement posted to social media.

Below is their full statement, as shared on Facebook Thursday:

We are deeply grateful for the outpouring of concern for our region as communities face the aftermath of this storm. We appreciate your support for the many needs across the region and have shared resources on our website for how you can help.

While our focus remains on our employees and communities affected, we have received countless questions regarding the condition of Biltmore.

We are still assessing impacts to the estate from Tropical Storm Helene and that will take some time. Like all of this region, the damage varies by location across our 8,000-acre property. In forested areas, which is a large portion of the estate, wind damage is extensive to grounds and some structures. Crews have been working tirelessly to clear roads so we can begin repairs.

The entrance to Biltmore, located in Biltmore Village, and other low-lying areas of the property, such as our farm, experienced significant flooding and damage to buildings. We are assessing structures and roadways in these areas. Biltmore House, Conservatory, winery, gardens, and our hotels received minimal or no damage from the storm. We sadly lost a few of our animals during the storm, but the vast majority are safe and accounted for thanks to our dedicated agriculture and equestrian teams.

As with all of our neighbors who experienced the effects of Helene, we are working on our plans for a swift recovery and look forward to welcoming our guests to this region as soon as it is safe to do so.

We appreciate your patience as we work to repair our internal technology network and communication systems.

Employee updates, information on cancellations and refunds, and more can be found here: biltmore.com/weather-update

“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,” the estate first announced on Monday.

The gate entrance building was submerged by the flood.

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