Piles of debris sitting outside and a thick layer of dried mud tell the story of the damage brought by Hurricane Helene at River Village shopping center in Â鶹´«Ã½.
Before the storm, the Sanford Drive complex of offices and stores anchored by Town Tavern restaurant was bustling. It now sits eerily quiet, save for the noises of people working to tear out flood damaged walls, floors, furniture and other items.
Inside of Town Tavern, floodwater levels are visible on the windows and on the wall-mounted TVs. On the entrance level, around 6 feet of water made its way inside. On the lower floor that looks out on the Catawba River, it was worse.
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The inside of Town Tavern restaurant was gutted due to the flooding from Hurricane Helene. Around 6 feet of water from the Catawba River made its way inside.
On a mid-October afternoon, about three weeks since the storm, TVs on the walls in Town Tavern remained but much of the inside had already been gutted to the bare walls.
Brothers Carl and Lee Kirksey, two of the owners of River Village, have been spending 10 to 11 hours every day at the site working to gut the buildings. The brothers also have employees working to help mitigate the damage.
There were 15-plus businesses in the multi-use complex, said Lee Kirksey.
Carl Kirksey said some of those businesses have said they would like to come back.
Carl Kirksey, right, and Lee Kirksey take a break on a recent afternoon from gutting buildings in River Village on Sanford Drive in Â鶹´«Ã½. The brothers own the shopping center with offices, businesses and a restaurant.
“But we understand that some won’t come back, and that’s just natural,†Carl Kirksey said.
Lee Kirksey said a lot of the businesses didn’t have flood insurance.
“We certainly understand,†he said. “Our hearts are broken for them.â€
Lee Kirksey said other owners say they love it there, with some having spent the last 17 years at the complex.
He said he and his brother are working hard to get those businesses back in the buildings as soon as possible.
Piles of debris caused by flooding from Hurricane Helene sit outside Queen City Audio, Video and Appliances in River Village shopping center about three weeks after Hurricane Helene hit Â鶹´«Ã½.
“This was our granddaddy’s land, so we’re gonna make him proud,†he said.
Carl Kirksey said they will be removing the sheetrock and the flooring and trying to treat the structure and dry it to get ready to build back.
The brothers said the city of Â鶹´«Ã½ and Burke County government have been helpful through the process of trying to clean up and rebuild.
A mirror mounted high on the wall of Town Tavern in Â鶹´«Ã½ shows a water line from flooding caused by Hurricane Helene on Sept. 27.
“We think the city of Â鶹´«Ã½ certainly wants to see this thrive again, so we’re hitting it from all corners trying to get it done,†Lee Kirksey said.
“This is all going to take time,†Carl Kirksey said about the recovery, not just in River Village but in the entire county.
As for Town Tavern, Justin Davis, an owner of the restaurant, said a week after the storm blew through that he hopes to rebuild and reopen. The restaurant opened in its River Village location in March 2021.
The inside of Town Tavern, located in River Village shopping center in Morganton, has been gutted due to flooding from Hurricane Helene. TVs mounted on the wall reflect how high the water got inside, nearly reaching the ceiling.Â
Business in Â鶹´«Ã½
Jonelle Sigmon, public information officer for the city of Morganton, said there have been 18 commercial building permits and 14 residential building permits issued due to storm-related damage from Sept. 27 through Oct. 18.
Silver Creek Restaurant on Carbon City Road was one of those businesses that saw major flooding. By Sept. 30, the eatery was being gutted to ready it for rebuilding the inside.
Ryan Cook, who is helping with the rebuild of Silver Creek, said on Oct. 4 that the restaurant owner Tom McCombs expects it will be 60 to 90 days before it will be ready to open.
On Monday, the restaurant said on its Facebook page that it is under construction but is looking forward to opening back up in the near future. The post said there is not a set opening date.
The cleanup is ongoing at the stores within Mimosa Hills Shopping Center on Carbon City Road. The shopping center is home to Kimbrell’s Furniture, Ollie’s, Planet Fitness and Dollar General, among others.
While Burke County has moved past a crisis level and things are getting better, it certainly isn’t back to normal, said Â鶹´«Ã½ City Manager Sally Sandy.
Sandy said from the very beginning days, city staff went to each commercial business to express condolences about the destruction and let owners know the city will work with them on their rebuild. Sandy said the city told businesses it will be there when needed and can help expedite the process.
A TV inside Town Tavern in Â鶹´«Ã½ shows how much water got into the restaurant during flooding caused by Hurricane Helene.Â
Sandy said city staff met individually with businesses to walk owners through what needed to be done to get businesses back up and running. She said many of the businesses have reopened or will soon reopen.
“We’ve tried to give as much counsel and quick assistance and been very responsive to their requests with the whole building inspection staff and all of those folks to try to get them up and running,†Sandy said.
She said, “Statistically speaking, after something like this, 25% of your businesses that are damaged don’t reopen. That keeps me up at night.â€
She said the commerce that the businesses bring to the community, and the economic benefits of that commerce to everyone in the community, is major.
There are businesses that are not just a local, but draw people from the surrounding region, Sandy said. Now, the question remains: Are those visitors going to return to Â鶹´«Ã½?
Sandy said she’s not aware of any businesses that don’t plan to reopen. However, she has talked to some business owners who are frustrated with the high cost to mitigate the damage. Cleanup costs can get very expensive, Sandy said.
The city has been working to get owners in touch with the Small Business Administration and other organizations for assistance.
