On Sept. 26, Hurricane Helene made landfall as a Category 4 storm near Florida’s Big Bend. Helene devastated lives and livelihoods along its 500-mile path across the southeastern U.S. But one part of the country was hit particularly hard: western North Carolina. Gov. Roy Cooper said the destruction there led to an estimated $53 billion in damages and recovery needs.
We checked in with Hannah Burnisky, owner of Cold Mountain Art Collective in downtown Canton, North Carolina, to hear how her business is recovering from severe flooding. The art gallery and pottery studio was nearly submerged.
“When I turned to the corner and saw my building and the water level was up to the top of my windows, it was just far more than I could have anticipated,” Burnisky recalled. “I just kind of collapsed in on myself at the visual of it, knowing that all of my equipment in there, all of the things I’d been working on, was just gone.”
Burnisky estimates she lost $35,000 in contents, and her shop will likely cost $100,000 to rebuild. She’s received a few small locally funded grants that have been helpful, but she hopes she’ll get larger grants.
“I’m crossing my fingers for those because my insurance, while I do have it, doesn’t cover enough of the contents,” she said.
Despite everything, it’s inspiring to see the community continue to come out and support her, Burnisky said. One day, when she was cleaning up the shop, someone came up to her offering a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
“It was just a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, but it was like the best peanut butter and jelly sandwich, because it was homemade with love,” Burnisky said. “Those moments have just been what keep you going.”
To hear the rest of Burnisky’s story, click the audio player above.
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