By Maria Sole Campinoti, CNN

(CNN) – This year’s official White House Christmas tree comes from western North Carolina, one of the areas hardest hit by Hurricane Helene in late September.

White House staff traveled to Cartner’s Christmas Tree Farm in Newland, Avery County, on Monday to select the 20-foot-tall Fraser fir that will decorate the Blue Room.

It is second time in a row a tree from North Carolina was selected for the White House, and the first from Cartner’s Christmas Tree Farm. Farm owner Sam Cartner said this is an accomplishment for all tree farms in western North Carolina.

“When he goes to the White House, it’s not about politics, it’s about the people of this community,” he said.

Avery County was one of the areas hardest hit by Hurricane Helene, considered to be among the deadliest hurricanes to hit the continental US in 50 years, CNN previously reported. At least 220 people they were killed in six states.

Cartner hopes their tree will be a symbol of resilience and resourcefulness for the people who demonstrated an “incredible sense of community, generosity and giving” during Hurricane Helene.

The farm lost 5,000 to 6,000 Christmas trees to the landslides, most of which were four feet tall or less and would have been ready for market in four years, Cartner said.

Most of the farm’s roads and infrastructure damaged by the hurricane have been repaired and Cartner expects to have a “relatively normal crop”.

“We are fortunate that our farm is not in a river valley or near a major river,” he said.

Other farms in Avery County lost 8-foot-tall trees ready to be sold this holiday season, Cartner said. And some farmers are still unable to access their farms due to fallen trees and unstable roads.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation says it is working closely with tree growers in the area to restore several connecting roads and secondary routes still damaged by major slides and downed trees.

At this time, it is unclear when access to all farms will be restored, according to a Department of Transportation spokesperson.

Hurricane Helene’s impact on the Christmas tree industry was minimal

As North Carolina’s tree growers approach the start of the Christmas tree “trimming season,” which begins in two weeks, most believe they will be open for business, according to Jennifer Greene, executive director of the Christmas Tree Association Christmas in North Carolina.

“I think it’s wonderful, it symbolizes hope and it shows the perseverance and strength of our communities and our Christmas tree farms,” ​​Greene said.

North Carolina is the second-largest Christmas tree-producing state in the country, harvesting more than 3 million trees annually, according to Greene.

It is unclear how many Fraser firs were damaged by the hurricane.

“There has been some loss from the larger trees from landslides and mudslides, but it’s minimal compared to our industry, compared to how many trees we have and how many we grow,” Greene said.

Authorities believe they will have a better estimate of how many trees were lost to the hurricane after the Christmas season.

“We do not expect the aftermath of Hurricane Helene to have a significant effect on the North Carolina Fraser real Christmas tree supply this holiday season,” said Tim O’Connor, the association’s executive director.

“It will take some time to fully assess the extent and implications of the damage to Christmas tree farms affected by the hurricane, but our farmers have weathered the storm and are ready to persevere,” he added.

A “beauty pageant” for Christmas trees

The White House Christmas tree is selected to a COMPETITION hosted by the National Christmas Tree Association, the national trade association and advocacy organization for the farm-raised Christmas tree industry.

“Each tree selected for the White House is the best tree among those that meet the height and width criteria,” O’Connor said.

The tree should be between 18-20 feet tall and about 12 feet wide.

North Carolina’s Fraser fir is the most popular Christmas tree, and the state produces about 20 percent of all real Christmas trees, according to the North Carolina Christmas Tree Association.

This is the 16th time a North Carolina Fraser fir has been selected for the White House, more than any other state in the nation, according to Greene.

Growers spend years tending and selecting their trees for the competition.

“It’s a subjective decision, essentially a beauty contest, arrived at by comparing trees,” O’Connor said.

To compete in the contest, tree growers must first win their state or regional Christmas Tree Association contest.

“Growers bring their tree entry to the national contest site from across the country to be displayed for judging,” O’Connor said.

Cartner’s Christmas Tree Farm has been named the 2024 Grand Champion Grower.

“With this award goes the honor of presenting a Christmas tree at the White House,” O’Connor said.

The farm will cut, package and ship the Fraser fir Nov. 20 to an event to raise money for hurricane survivors, Cartner said.

It will arrive at the North Portico of the White House via a bell-adorned horse and carriage and will be inspected by the first lady – a tradition since 1966 – who usually marks the start of the annual White House holiday festivities.

The tree will be placed in the center of the Blue Room of the White House and decorated with a theme to be revealed after the Thanksgiving holiday.

The tree will be presented in an official ceremony at the White House on November 25.

Correction: An earlier version of this story exaggerated Helene’s death toll. At least 220 people died in the storm.

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