North Carolina cafe's story mirrors many hit by Hurricane Helene
Business destroyed by Hurricane Helene reopens
Six months after Hurricane Helene devastated parts of North Carolina, many are still picking up the pieces of their lives. A former Georgia woman, who lost her business, has been rebuilding.
It has been six months since Hurricane Helene devastated parts of North Carolina.
Many are still picking up the pieces.
What they're saying:
On Your Bike is a café and bike rental shop in Marshall, North Carolina is owned by Alex Webber, her husband, Adam Schmitt, and daughter Madeleine.
Their business, along with all the others in Marshall, North Carolina, was destroyed by floodwaters from Hurricane Helene last September.
"The water came up 12 feet inside the shop. It was almost up to our ceiling. Most of the front of our shop is glass and all the glass blew out. Most everything in the shop was swept away and it left about three feet of mud," said Webber.
Six months later, signs of destruction are easily visible throughout Marshall.
"The south end of town, where we are, a lot of the buildings are just gone. They were completely swept away, so it still looks a bit like a war zone," said Webber.
Webber knows all about the power of Mother Nature. The former Cobb County resident lived in New Orleans in 2005 when Hurricane Katrina hit and destroyed her home. That's when she decided to move to the mountains, never imagining a hurricane would take away her livelihood. This time she was determined to stay and rebuild, but it wasn't easy.
"It was a lot of digging out. We were there all day, all evening, on the weekends. We were just working around the clock," said Webber.
On Your Bike was the first food service business to re-open in its original location in the entire county.
Webber says she believes it brought a little happiness and optimism to those around her.
"People were walking into the shop and bursting into tears. It's just a little bit of a visual respite from all the destruction," said Webber.
SEE ALSO:
- Georgia Senate wants further boost to spending on Hurricane Helene relief
- Chimney Rock, North Carolina, recovery shows progress post-Helene
- Art exhibit in Atlanta aids North Carolina artists hit by Hurricane Helene
- Kemp making hurricane relief, lawsuit limits his top 2025 priorities
- Couple helps hard-hit North Carolina farmers one Christmas tree at a time
The Source: FOX 5's Denise Dillon spoke with Alex Webber, one of the owners of On Your Bike café, about the changes they have seen over the six months since Hurricane Helene hit the area.