Banner Elk

In Yancey County, downed trees in the mountain forests and washed-out creeks and riverbeds remain over a month after the storm. Many voters saw their brick-and-mortar locations replaced by temporary white tents powered by generators.

Banner Elk officials still want people to stay off the roads unless travel is essential, and they are asking those who planned to visit in October to reschedule.

The sewer system is badly damaged leading to the risk of creeks being contaminated by wastewater, says Lora Elder, a volunteer helping with the town’s crisis communications. And there are still many places where roads and bridges are washed out.

At the heart of the festival are the worm-racing contests. The winning worm has the honor of serving as kind of a local fall version of Groundhog Day’s Punxsutawney Phil, predicting the severity of the upcoming winter.

Since 1978, a festival in North Carolina's High Country has touted being able to predict the severity of winter weather. And it all comes down to a…

An alpine coaster is coming to the High Country. The ride on Sugar Mountain in Banner Elk is one of the first of its kind in North Carolina. The…