Asheville, North Carolina’s arts scene has boosted the economy. Reconstruction will be difficult.

“The devastation was incredible, and even if you prepare for something like this, it’s something that’s never been seen before in western North Carolina,” Gov. Roy Cooper said during a visit to the area Monday.

Officials at the Penland School of Craft near Bakersville, North Carolina, a well-known hub for students and visiting artists, said a whitewater rescue team showed up at the facility after the storm. “They needed a place to sleep and a hot meal,” said Mia Hall, Penland’s executive director. Therefore, the rescuers were housed for the night in the facility, which includes accommodation, a dining hall and a self-contained water system.

“Organizations like ours are critical to these small communities because they are often the glue that holds this creative community together,” she said.

Hall said a group of Penland artists banded together to deliver supplies to neighbors, in some cases breaking into nearby homes with chainsaws to reach trapped residents.

The Blowing Rock Art and History Museum in Blowing Rock, North Carolina, suffered no damage, but its neighbors did. So museum staff began visiting displaced people’s shelters and distributing art sets to families, said museum director Stephan Dragisic.

“We are at a vulnerable point where every act of kindness is so appreciated and every act of humanity is so necessary,” he said. “The museum exists to do this kind of work where we reach beyond the walls.”

Dragisic couldn’t say what the region’s future might look like, but he’s already thinking about how to bring visitors back.

“Come and fall in love with this area and help us share the stories of this area and also help us protect the area,” he said.