Mitchell County business owners face long road to recovery after storm Helene

Small communities rally together despite ongoing struggles from Helene

Hollow storefronts line the road in Downtown Spruce Pine. Tired business owners came by periodically on Sunday, adding more debris to piles outside their front doors.

Dust from Helene’s floodwaters cover the asphalt.

“This is either going to really destroy Spruce Pine, or it’s like this cleansing,” Linda Harmon said.

She’s the owner of Herman’s Antiques and Stuff, where many of her items will need to be thrown away.

“I’m not sure what to expect. I’m taking it a step at a time,” Harmon said.

While WRAL News was talking with Harmon, the power came back on in her building and she made her first sale in more than a week.

“Are you sure?” she asked the customer through tears. “Thank you.”

Harmon’s business is her livelihood. To see some progress there is a big deal, as her struggles continue at home.

“No road was passable; we had to cut everybody out, so we could start connecting with 4-wheelers,” she recalled. “We’re not going to have power at our house for three weeks… Every single line between those poles is down. They’re going to have to fix the driveway before they can begin on that.”

Power, water, and hazardous roads remain a concern throughout the small towns of western North Carolina, including Micaville and Burnsville.

“I don’t know when we’ll have everything back up and running. It’s a little scary. Some of the side roads are just gone,” David Hudgins told WRAL. “It’s kind of like a battle zone, something you’d see overseas ((or in moves)). You just can’t get from point A to point B.”

He and his wife Wendy Hudgins were stuck in their homes until just a couple days ago. They still don’t have power.

“It was nice to be able to actually get into town and get something that we need. It’s been pretty rough the last week or so getting anything,” David Hudgins told WRAL.

They picked up some medication at Prescription Pad Pharmacies in Burnsville.

“They didn’t have some of [my prescriptions], but that’s ok,” Wendy Hudgins said.

The operations manager for Prescription Pad Pharmacies Liz Elkins said they are working with FEMA to ensure people can fill prescriptions, even if they don’t have the money.

“This community has rallied, how people have come together. I’ve hug people and prayed with people and thanked people that I’ve never laid eyes on before this week,” Elkins said.

In Spruce Pine, the Downtown Spruce Pine organization started a fundraiser to help the businesses affected by Helene.

Yancey County is also accepting donations.

By calling 211 or visiting nc211.org, families and individuals can obtain free and confidential information on health and human services and resources in their community.

People trying to connect with family members can call NC 211 or 1-888-892-1162 if calling from out-of-state. People can also call those numbers to report missing loved ones.