Brandon Davis and his husband, Davie, said they were “over the moon” when they finally opened their queer bar and event space, DayTrip, in Asheville, North Carolina, on Aug. 22.
Plans to host LGBTQ fundraisers, burlesque shows, dog adoptions and other community events were in the works when it was all brought to a halt, Davis said.
Just over a month after the space opened to the public, it was decimated by Hurricane Helene.
Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida on Sept. 26, and at least 242 people have died as a result of the storm, according to an NBC News tally.
Asheville experienced significant flooding, leading to widespread damage. Many residents are still struggling to find housing, and the destruction of major roads in the already difficult terrain of southern Appalachia has made the distribution of aid challenging.
Davis and Brandon have been lifelong bartenders. They developed the idea of DayTrip as a space for the queer community, featuring a bar and a coffee shop.
