AVERY COUNTY, NC (WITN) – Governor Roy Cooper traveled to Grandfather Mountain State Park in Avery County today to highlight the importance of tourism in western North Carolina.

Cooper was joined by western North Carolina native country musician Eric Church to assess the affected areas and speak with affected people in Banner Elk.

“Today we visited the beautiful Grandfather Mountain State Park in Avery County and traveled to Banner Elk to see the areas that were damaged during Helene,” said Governor Cooper. “Tourism is a critical part of Western North Carolina’s economy, and there are still many wonderful places in the region open and welcoming visitors. I am grateful for the work of our federal, state and local responders, as well as partners like Eric Church, who have given time and effort to help communities in need.”

This week, Cooper signed a memorandum of understanding with Church confirming his commitment that publishing royalties from Church’s recent song, “Darkest Hour,” will help fund the response and recovery efforts after Hurricane Helene.

The Governor’s Office says seven people are still unaccounted for after the storm. The Department of Public Safety task force turned the remaining work over to local law enforcement.

Although parts of western North Carolina are open and welcoming to visitors, the governor points out that some roads are still closed because they are dangerous to drive on and that other roads are reserved for essential travel.

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