Maggie Valley Yarn Shop owner Cindy Faust says she and most of her neighbors have picked up the pieces left behind by Hurricane Helene, and they are ready to welcome tourists into their western North Carolina mountain town. 'This area is so peaceful and welcoming,' Faust told Fox News Digital, adding that it was a 'lifelong dream' to own her business in the area after attending college there and working in corporate human resources for years.
Faust hopes getting the word out will help some of the massive crowds seen by Fox News Digital over the weekend in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, find their way down to the southern end of Newfound Gap Road, the main scenic drive through Great Smoky Mountains National Park. She was not able to get to her shop until two days after Helene passed, but when she noticed it had power and water, she opened her doors to the community.