Iconic Biltmore Estate that's largest private house in US is badly-damaged by Helene

The 129-year-old iconic Biltmore Estate in North Carolina is a waterlogged disaster zone after Hurricane Helene. 

The 8,000-acre estate in Asheville remains America's largest home, serving the public as a historic house museum and tourist attraction built by George Vanderbilt in 1895.

The famous mansion has been featured in at least 15 movies, including Patch Adams, Forrest Gump, Hannibal and Richie Rich.

Today, its faithful caretakers are working to clean up debris from Helene's wrath. 

The once daffodil-lined entry road is awash with mud. The Biltmore Village, where visitors could walk around and admire the historic buildings, is full of toppled statues.  

The flooding also killed several animals on the property and left buildings in low-lying areas in ruins. 

On Thursday, Biltmore shared an update to Facebook on how the property, grounds and the animals fared in the Category 4 tropical storm after receiving concerns from the public.

'The entrance to Biltmore, located in Biltmore Village, and other low-lying areas of the property, such as our farm, experienced significant flooding and damage to buildings,' the post said.

'We sadly lost a few of our animals during the storm, but the vast majority are safe and accounted for thanks to our dedicated agriculture and equestrian teams.'

Luckily, some areas of the estate spared significant damage, including the Biltmore House, Conservatory, winery, gardens and the hotels - all of which were all mostly unaffected by Helene.

But the Biltmore Village, just three miles north of the mansion, faced a much different fate. 

Business owners returned to the village on Monday to assess the extensive damage to their properties after the substantial flooding took over.

The historic village, originally constructed for employees of the Biltmore Estate in the 1800s, faced widespread catastrophe after more than 14 inches of rain from Helene poured over Asheville.

Residents said the water rose as high as 15 feet in some areas of the village, WRAL reported. 

The flood water came largely from the Swannanoa River, which has since receded leaving the haunting sight of what remains under the water.

Business owners covered their buildings in plastic and laid out sandbags to curb the flooding in a desperate attempt to prepare for the hurricane.

But Helene proved to be too strong amid their efforts. The flooding covered signs and windows, and even reached above the hoods of cars and trucks. It left businesses ravaged and in the muck.

'You know, I'm in a little bit of shock, maybe like most people,' Randall Gary, a resident of Asheville for five decades, told WRAL.

Gary has worked at the New Morning Gallery in the village for 25 years and made little progress while trying to dig his shop out of the mud on Monday.

'I don't even know what to say,' he added. 'It's bad.'

The ruined community is only one of the devastating effects of Helene. Residents told WRAL News on Monday that the severity of the situation cannot be overstated. 

Western North Carolina one of the hardest-hit areas, specifically in the Blue Ridge Mountains and other areas in and around Asheville, where at least 57 people were killed and hundreds remain missing, the Daily Mail reported.

Residents are scrambling for basic necessities - including food, water and gas stations that have fuel available. 

About 100,000 residents in Asheville were without running water after pipes were washed away, leaving residents to wash themselves and dishes in nearby creeks.

And more than 1.3 million people across six states are still without power, which includes 347,000 households in North Carolina, The Guardian reported. It could take days or even weeks for the power to be restored.

'It's been crazy,' a resident told WRAL. 'Supplies are scarce... it's been pretty emotional.'

'The inability to contact your loved ones... and the uncertainty of not knowing when we'll be able to get out or just, you know, be able to have the option to go anywhere to contact anyone has been really tough.'  

Search and recovery is still continuing in the state as the death toll reaches the triple digits. But residents were hopeful that help - specifically supplies, food and fresh water - were on the way.

The Biltmore Estate is still assessing impacts of Hurricane Helene to the property and will remain closed until October 15 for repair.

'In forested areas, which is a large portion of the estate, wind damage is extensive to grounds and some structures,' the Facebook post said. 'Crews have been working tirelessly to clear roads so we can begin repairs.'

'As with all our neighbors who experienced the effects of Helene, we are working on our plans for a swift recovery and look forward to welcoming our guests to this region as soon as it is safe to do so.'