The Biltmore Estate in North Carolina will soon reopen after being forced to close when floodwaters from Hurricane Helene devastated the area.

The popular tourist destination announced this weekend that they plan to open on November 2 and “celebrate the joy of the holiday season.”

“For more than 125 years, Biltmore has witnessed the resilience of this community,” the Asheville estate said in a statement. “Our region’s compassion and resolve are shaking every day under the weight of this storm.”

Here are a few things you need to know:

Why is Biltmore closed?

On September 27, the remnants of Hurricane Helene destroyed much of the Southeast, as flooding overwhelmed communities, swept away roads and knocked out power to thousands of people. North Carolina’s largest mountain town remained largely isolated as many of the main routes to Asheville were washed away or blocked by mudslides.

Officials have warned that rebuilding after Helene will be long and difficult. Helene first made landfall in northern Florida on September 26 as a Category 4 hurricane and quickly moved through Georgia, the Carolinas and Tennessee. The storm upended life in the Southeast, where nearly 250 deaths have been reported so far in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia.

Western North Carolina was particularly hard hit because the remains of Helene there collided with the higher elevations and cooler air of the Appalachians, bringing even more rain. Asheville and many surrounding mountain towns are built in valleys, making them especially vulnerable to devastating rain and flooding.

It was the deadliest hurricane to hit the US mainland since Katrina in 2005.

What damage did Biltmore experience?

According to the Biltmore Estate, the 8,000-acre property was very little affected by Hurricane Helene. Along with the Biltmore House, the estate includes a conservatory, winery, gardens and overnight accommodations, which suffered varying degrees of minimal or no damage.

Instead, some of the low-lying areas of the property were hardest hit by the storm. The entrance to the Biltmore Estate in particular suffered flooding and is currently undergoing “extensive repairs.” The estate’s website says the restoration work will result in the removal of weakened poplars lining the entrance gate.

Why is the Biltmore a tourist destination?

The Biltmore Estate was completed in 1895 during the country’s Gilded Age. It was anchored by a 250-room French chateau built at the direction of George Vanderbilt and is the largest private home in the United States.

Biltmore averages about 1.4 million visitors a year and employs nearly 2,500 employees — all of whom were listed after the storm, according to the estate’s website. The estate is one of the largest employers in the Asheville area.

The mansion has rarely been closed since it opened to the public. When Biltmore laid off most of its staff in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, the estate said it was the first time it had had to close since World War II.