Marshall NC begins community-based recovery after “apocalyptic” flooding

MARSHALL – The family of Dennis and Susan Rector rummage through their third-generation family department store on Main Street in Marshall, sifting through muddy family photos, old knick-knacks and shoveling pounds and pounds and pounds of the muddy sludge that has covered the Madison County town during the Flooding caused by Tropical Storm Helene.

“As bad as it looks, it feels like home now,” Ryan Rector, Dennis and Susan’s son, said of the Penland and Sons department store. “Sixteen years of my life, before I got my driver’s license, I was in the store. We were in the store practically every day.”

The multi-generational Rector family — including Jackson Massey, 15, who was celebrating his birthday — were all at the store on Oct. 1, shoveling mud, picking at shelves and beginning early attempts to restore the building.

In many ways, the family’s coming together might be the best description of the current state of Marshall’s cleanup effort.

While the destruction and debris that has spread across the historic western North Carolina town may be part of Marshall’s post-Tropical Storm Helene story, the cleanup effort is entirely rooted in a community of residents and small business owners involved in the recovery and excavation work The completely desolate city with around 800 inhabitants. For now, Marshall is conducting its rebuilding efforts largely alone, with about 100 volunteers.

As the local government and city fire department spread the word on social media that a volunteer cleanup effort was beginning, Matt Yeakley, the owner of Red Shed Woodworks and Construction, brought in his construction equipment at 7 a.m. on Sept. 30.

The next day, Yeakley surveyed the entire city, directing volunteers to chase down water lines, shovel away mud and make room for heavy machinery. In addition to fuel provided by the county, much of the equipment is simply donated by the community, Yeakley said. As they began the cleanup, residents opened numerous food stations and cooking spots where Krispy Kreme donuts and grilled food were distributed to volunteers and passing residents.

Yeakley’s role in the cleanup, which one volunteer, Van Hutchins of Madison County, described as “instrumental,” was fairly informal. He just decided it had to start.

“No one appointed me to this position,” Yeakley said. “You know, if someone doesn’t get control of it, it’s going to stay here for days.

With Tropical Storm Helene confirmed to have killed at least 100 people in the southeastern United States, Yeakley called the resulting flooding in Marshall “apocalyptic” for the downtown area.

Hot spots like Ponders Auto, where some said they get their annual inspections done, and the Marshall Depot, a popular music venue in the city, have completely disappeared. The buildings next to it have also disappeared.

“I spoke to the district manager. “I asked if there was a plan – maybe not – and I took the lead,” he said.

Despite their efforts without much outside support, Yeakley said they needed more diesel, gloves and shovels. Their goal now is to get rid of the mud, he said.

Other buildings, such as the Marshall Town Hall – a building that also served as Marshall Police headquarters – were destroyed by the flood and could not be restored. Amid the rubble of City Hall, Ryan and Magon Hof worked to clear the rubble as they wanted to help Police Chief Kenny Brown as there was still evidence and weapons in the building.

“I’ve seen war zones with less destruction,” Ryan Hof said.

Strangers and friends help pick up the pieces

At the intersection of Main Street and Bailey’s Branch Road, volunteers shovel, plow and shovel the mud to the beat of local alternative radio DJ Chad Adamowski (aka “Mr. Wilderness”) and the beeping of reversing dump trucks -high.

Adamowski called his street corner shop his “entire autobiographical box” as his friends Darci and Silvan DeWulf helped lug refrigerators, antique furniture and assorted knick-knacks from his tattoo shop, Nature Canvas Tattoo, as they competed against mold and bacteria buildup.

In one room, the flood destroyed shelves, jewelry and tattoo equipment. However, there are still model airplanes and various science fiction memorabilia. Given that flooding has claimed lives in the area, Adamowski simply expressed his appreciation for being there and still having a home in Marshall.

“Having four walls and a roof is like survivor’s guilt,” Adamowski said, noting that he felt the community was “trauma bonded” by the experience. He hoped that more resources and money could be made available to the community as it rebuilds.

For the DeWulfs, as much as the buildings make Marshall what it is, the people are the city. They have come to support those they are friends with.

“It’s not like this anonymous destruction. These are people you’ve known for a long time,” said Darci DeWulf, a Marshall resident.

Another business owner affected by the flood is Josh Copus, one of the three owners of the Old Marshall Jail, which now serves as a restaurant and hotel. He said recovery efforts so far have been difficult only when he backed away from it.

“This is our life. This is our world and it’s hard not to be here,” he said.

Inside the building, the rubble can only be described as inconsolable dirt. The water damage extended to the ceiling of the building, where paint peeled off as mud covered the building’s walls and floors. Copus had returned to his shop for the first time on Saturday, September 28, when the water was still up to his waist, to begin the process of rescuing numerous historical documents about the fabled 1905 prison.

The only relief was that Copus received help in the form of extensive community support. Friends, family and strangers probably shoveled more than a ton of mud from the building.

“I mean, people I didn’t know came here and shoveled mud for 12 hours,” Copus said. “If there’s one thing we can take away from this so far, it’s that we are so grateful for our friends, neighbors and community.”

“Climate change is real”

Another concern was whether the city’s future might be linked to more frequent flooding and climate change. Although the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration only measured the Marshall flood at 20.08 feet, there is a large measuring stick attached to the old prison to measure flooding in the city, which has experienced partial flooding from time to time. to be measured regularly.

Copus pointed out that the waterline on the dipstick was not at 20 feet. It stood at 27, above the windows of the Old Marshall Jail, well above the record of 22 feet set in 1916.

“You know, climate change is real,” Copus said. “This shows the extent of the destruction here, which is completely unprecedented.”

Although Susan Rector described the initial experience of her department store’s destruction as “numb,” the family is hopeful with the community’s support.

“Everyone helps everyone,” said Dennis Rector.

His son Ryan Rector agreed, but the community still needs more resources.

“If you’re physically fit, go to Marshall. I know there are many other areas that need help too. Go to these places when you are near them,” he said. “I know we need water. We need gloves. We need equipment.”

More: Asheville flooding: Are the Nature Center, Biltmore Estate and other attractions open? What you should know

More: More than 12,000 requests for help: Volunteers search for missing people after Helene

Will Hofmann is a growth and development reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Do you have a tip? Email him at [email protected]. Consider supporting this type of journalism with a subscription to Citizen Timit.

Marshall NC begins community-based recovery after “apocalyptic” flooding

ByJasper

Strangers and friends help pick up the pieces

“Climate change is real”

By Jasper

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