Buncombe County has issued a mandatory evacuation order for residents along the Swannanoa River from the North Fork Reservoir to Biltmore Village.

Life won't soon be the same for communities in North Carolina's mountains after Tropical Storm Helene. Heartbreak in the hills: The French Broad and Swannanoa rivers swept through Asheville's well-known Biltmore Village and River Arts District.

Earlier this morning, the National Hurricane Center announced Helene had been downgraded to a tropical storm with sustained winds of 60 miles per hour. As Helene makes its way into Tennessee, heavy rains can be expected along with flash floods and strong wind gusts.