BLOWING ROCK, N.C. -- The severity of the damage out west depends on where you live and even then, destruction varies widely as many look to rebuild -- another challenge some business owners are facing is guilt opening up while other businesses cannot.

Our WFMY News 2 crews spent time walking Main Street on Tuesday, Oct. 15 in the village of Blowing Rock.

Usually, an October afternoon is busy not a parking spot to be found however that was not the case today.

Even though some businesses and restaurants are open and routes into Blowing Rock are open and safe to drive one thing that was missing was the tourists.

RELATED: After Helene's destruction, a mountain town reliant on fall tourism wonders what's next

Bartender at Six Pence Restaurant and Pub Joline Cutrone says she's lived in Blowing Rock for years and she's never seen the town be so quiet.

Despite the area as a whole not getting a ton of devastation, Cutrone says she feels for the areas hit hardest by Helene.

"It's been devastating and heartbreaking to see what a lot of others are going through and it's going to take a long long time I feel like for a lot of these communities to be back to where they are at but you know the Appalachian folks are strong and resilient and they will survive and will get back to where they once were," said Cutrone.

Just next door is Sunset Teas and Hattery -- a longtime souvenir shop that just celebrated 39 years.

Salesperson Angela Paul tells me she's seen the blowing rock village grow immensely in the last year but to now witness how much the storm took away is heartbreaking

Blowing Rock leaders say all major routes into Blowing Rock are open and safe to travel. They recommend travelers to plan ahead.