An interview with Diane Rogers, B&B owner in Asheville, NC
Hurricane Helene struck Asheville, NC, in the early morning hours of September 27, 2024, and the devastation that followed caught the city entirely off guard.
“I feel like this was the epic weather event of my lifetime in this place,” Says, Diane Rogers of Pinecrest Bed and Breakfast about Hurricane Helene.
Introduction
In this article we share a heartfelt interview with Diane Rogers, owner of Pinecrest Bed and Breakfast in Asheville, NC. As one of 16 Asheville small business innkeepers of the Asheville Bed & Breakfast Association (ABBA) impacted by Hurricane Helene, Diane reflects on the profound effects of the storm on her business and the community. This conversation serves as a prelude to her presentation on behalf of ABBA at the March 2025 conference for the Association of Lodging Professionals, where she will offer valuable insights for fellow innkeepers who may face similar challenges. Join us in exploring the theme of resilience in the wake of adversity.

As Hurricane Helene struck Asheville on September 27th, Diane had a full house of guests at her historic downtown Asheville B&B. At the time she, like many others, had no idea of the magnitude of the hurricane and what was to come. Within hours the power was out along with wifi and TV. A few short hours after that cellular service went down. Within two days the water was out as well. Never mind the devastation of homes, roads and trees within every area of Asheville and surrounding towns and communities.
Experiencing "guest services" under these conditions was a unique challenge. As a small business owner not knowing when services would be back on was additional layer of concern. After addressing the most immediate concerns of food and water, every small business owner had to address some aspect of property and income damage, FEMA, insurance and more. Here is our interview with Diane as she shares her experiences and lessons.
What advice would you give to other Innkeepers?
Diane: “First and foremost, make sure that guests in your B&B are safe and you're providing for their needs as much as possible given the conditions. Then you can address how to proceed.
Start a ‘To Do’ List with items for today, next week, and next month to make the best use of your time. It’s a strategy to practice during normal operations so you don’t feel overwhelmed. If and when a crisis arrives, you have this skill set to lean on.
Give yourself a little grace. You may be facing the hardest crisis in your life. This is a time for survival, not perfection. Take care of yourself first and know the sun will come up. It might be the only thing you can count on in a crisis.
You have mad skills because you RUN a B&B! Innkeepers wear so many hats in their daily operations. You know how to do all these things, just lean into that and you'll be able to figure out a way through it, even when the situation feels desperate. You've got this.
What advice would to give to guests in the event of disaster?
Diane: “Be as gracious as you can in the face of adversity. Innkeepers will do their best to provide for your needs but try to be flexible. If you have an area of expertise that could be helpful given the circumstances, offer your services. We are all in this together.
If you are concerned about an extreme weather event, contact the innkeeper with as must notice as possible if you want to cancel. Be flexible and request a voucher to reschedule your stay at the B&B. If the innkeeper seems intractable, decide what is more important to you—the money or possibly being trapped away from home for multiple days. Then make the best choice for you.
What advice do you have for gov't leaders in cities/towns for the lodging community, specifically the B&B community which was treated differently than hotels?
Diane: “We need a level playing field.” Not just during an emergency, but in our everyday businesses. B&Bs do not fit into neat categories as we are neither a hotel nor a short-term rental like Airbnb. Especially in a crisis, look at how innkeepers could help solve a problem. Although our inns were without utilities, we did have empty beds which would have been preferable to first responders who were sleeping in their vehicles. Open lines of communication would have benefited us all.
What do you wish you had known before? How would you do it differently next time?
Diane: “First I hope there's never a next time but if there is, I’ll have more bottled water! There is no doubt that extreme weather events are happening with greater frequency. My B&B made it through a pandemic and we’re on the upside of Hurricane Helene. So you could say I am mentally prepared for whatever comes next.
How much prep do I want to have? I had any number of items like batteries, kerosene lanterns, a Jackery for charging devices, a gas cooktop and lighter to prepare hot food and coffee. Those were all on my radar in my normal course of business. And there are numerous resources for emergency preparedness. Do your own research.
When the next bad weather event is forecast, I will make sure I have adequate amounts of bottled water as it was a basic need that was difficult to meet given the severity of the storm. We routinely keep some canned goods in the pantry. I’ll be stocked to feed 10 people for 3 days which seems like a compromise between readiness and over-reacting.
Do you now have a disaster preparedness plan?
Diane: “Even after the hurricane, I do not have a formal written plan. However it’s something I think about frequently, especially some of my every day tasks that were immensely helpful.
The lack of communication presented a significant challenge. We have always kept a paper calendar and a paper copy of each booking. While it seemed paper was unnecessary with access to the same information on a cell phone or desktop, those devices just weren’t accessible in the immediate aftermath. We were able to contact pending guests via text to make sure they did not try to travel to Asheville.
We keep our accounting records up to date. While processing refunds, we needed to access working capital. That came about through loans from local organizations. Having up-to-date Profit & Loss statements, Balance Sheets, etc let us be approved for a loan quite quickly.
We would also recommend having a Business Line of Credit. Again quite helpful for keeping up with cash flow when revenue was nonexistent."
Leave town if you can. When your guests have vacated and your B&B is secure, self-evacuate if you can. The community will need to conserve its resources. If you can lessen the burden by leaving the area, do it.
What are some of the things you will be presenting at the ALP conference in February?
Diane: “I'm still working on that presentation. It’s on the list but it’s not due until March 2nd so I’ll have it done by March 1st, right? I want to tell my story authentically as a panel member. And hopefully be an inspiration to those attending to do their own preparedness.
How was this different from covid? How was it similar?
Diane: “It was the same because we were closed for months. But it was different because it was only Asheville and not the world wide. Recovery is going to be enormously different. Knowing I made it through COVID certainly like gave me a foundation I was interviewed by the Washington Post on the second day and my quote was, “we made it through the pandemic and this feels a lot like COVID, but I think it's worse.” Foretold is forewarned, it was much worse.
Tell us about your experience with World Central Kitchen.
Diane: “I never thought I would need World Central Kitchen. Several months after we reopened from Covid, the State of North Carolina reimbursed a small portion of our losses. Our revenue had recovered already so I decided to pay it forward. I sent money to World Central Kitchen because I really admired all the places they went, feeding people on the frontlines of war and natural disasters.
World Central Kitchen were some of the first boots on the ground. I went to Bear's BBQ where they were setting up every day, serving lunch. Though I was never in danger of starving, I walked there to clear my head. And almost wept over chicken and macaroni & cheese.
Somebody is taking care of me. Somebody cared. Strangers are showing up in Asheville to feed us. I went back a few days later because it was just one less thing I had to think about when everything seemed hard.
Eventually I volunteered with WCK. I was so glad to be in a place where I could finally give back. They are an amazing organization that I will continue to support.
In Closing
Our community united in an unparalleled way. If you weren't familiar with your neighbor before, you certainly are now, as is everyone along the street. Now, we simply anticipate the silver linings to emerge, and they are already doing so in many respects.
Takeaway #1:
Stay calm, plan ahead, and be prepared. Achieve this by creating a list (unless you're like Diane and can rely on your memory.) Even if the storm appears harmless, having that list and supplies is beneficial.
Takeaway #2:
Ensure you have an alternative plan for invoicing and billing in your accounting. Keep a paper copy of your reservations and any other documents necessary for applying for financial assistance. Take photos of the debris and damage before starting the cleanup. FEMA might not assist you if you cannot provide proof.
Takeaway #3:
If you can support your community, consider offering help or making a donation. You never know, you might one day benefit from a nonprofit assistance program during a crisis.
As an innkeeper, do you have a crisis plan or an emergency preparedness list in place?…
Please, leave a comment below or share to your social media to help educate other innkeepers around the United States.

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