After nearly nine months of recovery, the mountain town of Marshall, North Carolina, has officially reopened its doors to visitors following the devastation of Hurricane Helene. The storm, which passed through the region in October, caused significant damage, including flooding from the French Broad River, which rose nearly 25 feet. Business owners, including cafe and gallery proprietors, remain in the process of cleaning and repainting their establishments, with many expressing a profound sense of relief and emotional rejuvenation upon returning to their spaces.
The reopening of Marshall has been a slow but steady process, with many businesses still in the early stages of recovery. Connie Molland, co-founder of Flow Gallery, recounted the emotional weight of returning to her space after the storm. ‘I had no words, I mean I was crying,’ she said. ‘To walk into this space and see what we had left was all toppled all over and covered in mud.’
Similarly, Joel Friedman, owner of Zuma’s Coffee, described the destruction caused by the hurricane. ‘All these windows busted out, all the contents went out with it. All the tables, chairs, the equipment. It was total destruction,’ he told Fox News. However, he and other business owners have found solace in the community’s support, with volunteers from across the country coming to aid in the recovery efforts.
The town’s resilience has been bolstered by an outpouring of national support, with volunteers showing up with protective gear and tools, ready to work. ‘That’s what was keeping us going during that time,’ said Molland. ‘People were just showing up and feeling good about how they were helping us.’ Friedman noted a similar sentiment, stating, ‘Soon as everybody could come downtown, they were here with shovels and wheelbarrows and they went to work.’
As businesses continue to reopen, Marshall is slowly returning to its former self, with some owners expressing hope that the town may even be better than before. ‘It felt like victory. There’s just small victories every day leading up to the final,