ASHEVILLE — G20 finance ministers and central bank governors are meeting at the Grove Park Inn and Spa in Asheville.

The Treasury Department awarded Omni Hotels Corporation a $1.03 million contract to use the Grove Park Inn and Spa for the G20 meeting. A Treasury planning document names Grove Park Inn as the G20 event’s “primary place of performance” and calls for gifts representing Western North Carolina and cultural programming. President Donald Trump is scheduled to welcome G20 leaders in Asheville on Saturday.

This high-profile gathering occurs in a region where North Carolina has received a fraction of the disaster aid it sought from the federal government since Hurricane Helene. The storm struck the mainland United States in 2024, causing widespread destruction across Western North Carolina.

Jaime Byrd’s art gallery in Asheville’s River Arts District took roughly six feet of water during Hurricane Helene. Byrd estimates Hurricane Helene caused at least $80,000 to $100,000 in losses to her art gallery. Federal assistance covered about 20 percent of the repairs needed at Byrd’s home, she estimates. Byrd received no Federal Emergency Management Agency help for her art gallery.

Linda Tetens relies on a CPAP machine to breathe while sleeping. Tetens left Asheville for a motel in Greensboro after about 10 days without electricity following Hurricane Helene. FEMA initially approved Tetens’ hotel stay reimbursement but later denied it.

Tetens received roughly $1,400 from FEMA after spending nearly a year submitting documents. Tetens points to damaged roads and residents awaiting government buyouts as evidence of ongoing recovery needs in Asheville. Families have reported being afraid to use outdoor spaces in Western North Carolina due to fear of encountering immigration enforcement. ICE agents, U.S. Forest Service personnel, and Caldwell County emergency responders were active in the region during recovery operations.

Timeline

Residents near Jaime Byrd’s home collected drinking water from an open spring on a neighbor’s property after Hurricane Helene due to lack of electricity for wells on 2024-09-26. Helicopters delivered meals ready to eat and evacuated residents needing medical care in Jaime Byrd’s neighborhood after Hurricane Helene on 2024-09-26. Hurricane Helene struck the mainland United States in 2024 on 2024-09-26.

Roads near Jaime Byrd’s home washed out after Hurricane Helene, largely cutting off the neighborhood on 2024-09-26. On September 27, 2024, Hurricane Helene hit Western North Carolina, including the city of Asheville, causing catastrophic flooding and destruction, particularly in the River Arts District where Jaime Byrd's gallery was flooded with over 5 feet of water.

What's New

Research titled "Rebuilding Maternal Health Access in Western North Carolina: Addressing Critical Gaps Amplified by Hurricane Helene" was published in 2025 in North Carolina Medical Journal. A study titled "Landslide Prediction Validation in Western North Carolina After Hurricane Helene" was published in 2024 in Geotechnics. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary determined that public health emergencies exist in North Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, and South Carolina as a result of the consequences of Hurricane Helene.

The Environmental Protection Agency issued a No Action Assurance for the use of Air Curtain Incinerators to manage debris caused by Hurricane Helene in North Carolina in 2024. Hurricane Helene had a devastating impact on one of the largest manufacturers of certain intravenous and peritoneal dialysis solutions in the United States.

FEMA initially approved a hotel stay for Linda Tetens but later denied her reimbursement, and she spent nearly a year repeatedly submitting documents before receiving roughly $1,400. FEMA has issued 1304 federal disaster declarations for hurricane incidents in North Carolina since the programme began.

How Sources Differ

Sources report different details regarding Western North Carolina. Newz.com states the group Latinos Aventureros spent 650 volunteer hours delivering food, water, medicine, and other supplies to an estimated 1,700 people in Western North Carolina after Hurricane Helene. North Carolina Medical Journal reports research titled Rebuilding Maternal Health Access in Western North Carolina: Addressing Critical Gaps Amplified by Hurricane Helene was published in 2025 in North Carolina Medical Journal.

Doi.org reports a study titled Landslide Prediction Validation in Western North Carolina After Hurricane Helene was published in 2024 in Geotechnics.

Sources report different details regarding Hurricane Helene. Federalregister.gov reports the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary determined that public health emergencies exist in North Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, and South Carolina as a result of the consequences of Hurricane Helene.

Federal Register reports standards for Air Curtain Incinerators and that the Environmental Protection Agency issued a No Action Assurance for the use of Air Curtain Incinerators to manage debris caused by Hurricane Helene in North Carolina in 2024.

Newz.com states Latinos Aventureros covered more than 4,300 miles in Western North Carolina to deliver supplies after Hurricane Helene.

Why It Matters

The G20 summit convenes in a region where residents report receiving only a fraction of sought federal disaster aid following Hurricane Helene. While officials frame the event as a commitment to revitalization, local accounts detail limited FEMA support for homes and businesses alongside ongoing infrastructure damage. The gathering of leaders representing most global economic output occurs as some families remain hesitant to use outdoor spaces due to immigration enforcement concerns.