UNDERWATER

Tropical Storm Helene slams Mitchell County

  • Submitted photo. Downtown Spruce Pine was flooded as Tropical Storm Helene rolled through Mitchell County on Sept. 26. The county continues to struggle without power, phone services or internet.
    Submitted photo. Downtown Spruce Pine was flooded as Tropical Storm Helene rolled through Mitchell County on Sept. 26. The county continues to struggle without power, phone services or internet.
  • Photo/Hunter Levi, Trains.com. As water recedes, the impact of flooding on downtown can be seen from above.
    Photo/Hunter Levi, Trains.com. As water recedes, the impact of flooding on downtown can be seen from above.
    Rachel Hoskins
    rhoskins@thefranklinpress.com

    Seventy-two feet. Seventy-two feet is the distance between where the sidewalk that flanks the businesses along Locust Street in Spruce Pine begins to the edge of Sycamore Alley, which divides buildings between Locust Street and Oak Avenue. Seventy-two feet, at roughly a 45 degree incline, determined whether people were sweeping the leaves from their stoop or shoveling a foot of mud from their floor.

    A week ago today, Thursday, Sept. 26, residents of Mitchell County were keeping an eye on the constant falling rain. Folks living near Cane Creek or the Toe River, were watching the waters rise. Tropical storm warnings had been issued in the wake of Hurricane Helene making landfall. By Thursday, Mitchell County and state officials were issuing warnings of tropical storm winds, flash flooding and rainfall totaling more than 20 inches. People prepared. But no one was prepared for the devastation that would follow.

    “We watched the river rising,” said Teresa Thomas. Her husband Mike is the minister at The Ark of WNC Locust Street in Spruce Pine and they live on the second floor of the church.

    “The water was rising. Some tree limbs and debris floated by. The water continued to rise reaching the train tracks. A truck floated by. Then a house. A nice house. An entire house,” said Teresa. When the river flowed over the roadway, Teresa said they watched in disbelief as it washed parked cars into storefronts. “It just continued to rise.”

    As Friday morning dawned, water filled the first floor of stores along Locust Street while tree branches and power lines littered Oak Avenue.

    On Tuesday morning, six days later mud packed Locust Street, as broken widows left once vibrant businesses exposed to the elements and passersby. A hand full of people could be found beginning the clean-up process, salvaging what they could, making a pile of debris and wood for the unsalvageable.

    A couple wearing work gloves and boots were feet deep in mud as they carried wet boards and debris from a recently purchased building. The building was meant to be a working studio and gallery. And it still will be they said.

     

    Small business loans available

    Businesses in Mitchell and Yancey counties, as well as other counties that were part of the N.C. Disaster Declaration related to Tropical Storm Helene may be eligible for a variety of disaster loans. Application filing deadlines are Nov. 27, 2024, for physical damage and June 30, 2025 for economic damage.

    Rusty Shoultz, of the Louisiana Incident Management Team, working in Spruce Pine said it’s imperative that small businesses get an early start on the process.

    “Getting an application started the first week makes all the difference,” said Shoultz, who said he will be on hand at the Spruce Pine Fire Department to answer questions and provide information.

    Business physical disaster loans: Loans to businesses to repair or replace disaster-damage property owned by the business, including real estate, inventories, supplies, machinery and equipment. Businesses of any size are eligible. Private, non-profit organizations such as charities, churches, private universities, etc. are also eligible.

    Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL): Working capital loans to help small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture, and most private, nonprofit organizations of all sizes meet their ordinary and necessary financial obligations that cannot be met as a direct result of disaster. These loans are intended to assist through the disaster recovery period.

    Home Disaster Loans: Loans to homeowners or renters to repair or replace disaster-damaged real estate and personal property, including automobiles.

     

    Credit requirements and repayment

    Applicants must have a credit history acceptable to SBA and must show the ability to repay all loans. The law authorizes loan terms up to a maximum of 30 years. However, the law restricts businesses with credit available elsewhere to a maximum 7-year term. SBA sets the installment payment amount and corresponding maturity based upon each borrower’s ability to repay. Borrowers may be required to provide collateral.

     

    How to apply

    Applications for disaster loans may be submitted online using the MySBA Loan Portal at https://lending.sba.gov. Contact the SBA’s Customer Service Center by email at disastercustomerservie@sba.gov or by phone at 1-800-659-2955 for further assistance.