“We are incredibly grateful for the overwhelming support for our community and the determination of our first responders, utility workers and community volunteers,” Biltmore President and CEO Bill Cecil Jr. said in a statement. “As the recovery unfolds, the return of guests to Biltmore not only means we can open, but also brings critical support to our region's economy to help employees, local businesses and friends in the area.

No storm-related deaths were reported among employees, Marissa Jamison, a spokeswoman for Biltmore, said in an Oct. 19 email to Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. All staff died, although several employees lost their homes in the storm, Jamison said.

Some are also unemployed, at least temporarily.

Biltmore, one of Buncombe County's largest employers, cited “a significant decline in tourism that is expected to continue in the near future” and laid off an unspecified number of employees, according to Jamison.

However, the furlough is only temporary, she said, and employees will return to work “in phases following reopening.”