Sitting on a bench overlooking the peaceful waters of Lake Junaluska, geese paddling their way through the water and fisherman dressed in their camouflage wetting a line in the rippling waters, it’s hard to believe that just over a year ago, destruction from Hurricane Helene ravaged the water-level communities in the towns of Haywood County, North Carolina.
Repair doesn’t come overnight, but with that I-think-I-can determination that powers the engine of community spirit, the small towns of Haywood County have made a remarkable comeback. Work continues on roads and roofs; businesses that were underwater have moved to higher ground, and restaurants are brimming with activity, all indicating that restoration and rebirth is in sight.
It was early morning on Sept. 27 in 2024, that Hannah Burnisky awoke and realized that her home in Canton, North Carolina, was without power. She knew a storm was predicted, so had taken measures to move much of the artwork in her Cold Mountain Art Collective, a place where area artists can showcase and sell their works of all mediums, including one-of-kind pottery pieces, jewelry, handmade soaps and more.
“The mayor had called me before the storm and told me I really needed to consider getting everything out,” she said.
She heeded the warning, remembering the flooding from previous storms causing the nearby Pigeon River to rise, and artwork was saved. But she wasn’t prepared for what she saw when she was finally able to get to her store.
“It had just hit its peak height at 7 feet, 7 inches in our building,” she said, pointing to a marker on the building where she has recorded water levels from previous floods.
“Up there, that’s Helene,” she says, pointing to the highest point just below the roofline of her building. Continuing to point to her measuring stick: “Then that line there was from Tropical Storm Fred, and then there’s where Francis came to in 2004 followed by Ivan the same year.”
It took months to repair the walls and her kilns that were too heavy to move.
“I’m still repairing two of them,” she said. But she’s taken safeguards to limit damage from future storms so that art lovers can walk through and see the beauty of the mountains reflected in their works.
“It would be foolish not to expect another flood,” she said.
The towns of Haywood County are small, with the Pigeon River running through much of them. The largest city, Waynesville, with a population just north of 10,000, has an area known as Frog Level District where taverns and funky shops livened up historic buildings brought back to life. Hurricane Helene had different plans.
The area saw a great deal of destruction, and shuttered storefronts do remain. But Frog Level has seen remarkable signs of recovery with new businesses, such as Astro Records joining Panacea Coffeehouse and Frog Level Brewing, two businesses that survived Helene.
Chelsea Ramsey and her sister-in-law Haley Ramsey, owners of Soul Sisters Depot, called each other the morning after the hurricane and were able to talk for a few minutes, until the winds and the rain killed the power and all means of communication were lost.
“We didn’t know what was going on,” Chelsea Ramsey said. “And then a friend came and knocked on my door, and she was like, ‘I hate to show you this.’ And I asked her how bad it was. And she said, ‘Worse than you can ever believe.'”
There was 3 feet of water inside the shop.
Like other Frog Level businesses, Soul Sisters has now found a new home on higher ground in downtown Waynesville. The smell of patchouli smacks you in the face as you open the door and gives you a hint as to the incredible finds, from clothing to jewelry, household goods and more that these soul sisters have found.
“When we were in Frog Level, our tagline was that we were the red-headed stepchild of Main Street Waynesville,” Haley Ramsey said. “Now we’re more a part of downtown. We feel like we’re more a part of everything.”
The same can be said for The Funky Fern, a fun little shop with quirky home decor and vintage clothing and accessories. Now in a secure location downtown, the store was once in a prime location in Frog Level.
With no means of communication, Kristyn Lodice was desperate for news as the Pigeon River continued to rise.
“I had no way to get there and no way to contact my business partner (Carrie Peeler),” Lodice said. “The last call I got was from our friends at Soul Sisters who were just sobbing and saying, ‘It’s all gone.'”
In less than a year, Funky Fern was back in business selling the funky fun it’s always been known for.
“We’ve found a good home here,” Lodice said. “And luckily, there’s no water risk here.”
Haywood County, in the shadow of Asheville, has always been a favorite vacation stop for lovers of the outdoors who come to traverse its trails, birdwatch, spot majestic elk or cool off beneath the spray of its many waterfalls on a hot summer’s day.
Hotels, vacation rental homes, bed-and-breakfasts and inns, such as Andon-Reid Inn, are fully open and ready for business. It’s an uplifting tale of determination and perseverance.
“This year has been a 180-degree turn around from this time last year,” said Brenda Beznoska who owns the inn with in-house chef/husband Peter.
“Since Hurricane Helene, Haywood County’s small businesses have reopened with remarkable resilience, supported by our mountain communities, vital grants and overwhelming local help,” said Corrina Ruffieux, executive director of Visit Haywood.
And, she added, “The best way to support them now is to visit, shop local and be part of their ongoing recovery.”
Contact Anne Braly at abraly@timesfreepress.com.