Hurricane-damaged businesses begin the long climb back
Clean-up work continues at the West Union Street Plaza in the wake of Hurricane Helene.
Water engulfed the Ollie’s outlet store in the West Union Street Plaza. Renovation work is now underway.
A car that had been left in the parking lot of the West Union Street Plaza ended up covered with water and mud in the wake of Hurricane Helene.
Wendy Kelley, owner of Pre-Loved Boutique in the West Union Street Plaza, and Sandy Whitener secure removed items from the store on Wednesday afternoon.
A bridge over the Catawba River links the Morganton Greenway to Freedom Park.
Lee Kirksey, along with brothers Carl and L.H., under the corporate name Kirksey and Company, own the River Village Shopping Center that suffered major flooding as a result of Hurricane Helene.
The line of offices and shops, as well as the Town Tavern Restaurant, are directly beside the Catawba River and the City of Morganton Greenway.
Indeed, many diners at Town Tavern would often walk off their dessert with a brief stroll along the scenic greenway, which for more than 20 years has served as a draw for tourists and local residents alike.
Located just off Sanford Drive near the Morganton Post Office, the plaza was once home to Kirksey’s grandfather’s cornfield, and the brothers consider it a family heirloom – but that heirloom was inundated with rushing brown water on Friday, Sept. 27, as the Catawba roared out of its banks and into the property.
Kirksey recalled the Saturday after the storm when he saw a post via Facebook that water had made it to the top of the North Green Street bridge over the Catawba River.
Water flowed north from the bridge, through International Moulding, even reaching the Tractor Supply store at the corner of North Green and Independence Boulevard.
“I couldn’t believe that. I had to get out and see,” Kirksey said in disbelief. He added that the flood waters had reached the top of the doorways on the buildings.
“If we’d gotten water on top of these buildings they’d have to be torn down, but the fact that it didn’t go over the doorway lets us be able to preserve them a little bit,” Kirkesy said. “We think the structures are still sound. It’s metal buildings, but all the sheetrock and stuff have to be mitigated and tossed.”
Kirksey said he’s not sure if insurance will cover the damage, but the company does have flood insurance on each building.
“We’re fighting it because some people are saying insurance may not pay certain claims because this is a flood, not a hurricane,” he said.
According to Kirksey, some of his tenants were not so lucky.
“A lot of these businesses did not have flood insurance for content. The dentist office didn’t have a dime, so they’re just out of business,” he said
“Our hearts are broken for these businesses. Some of them have been down here for 20-plus years. 85% of them want to come back if we can put it back together,” Kirksey said. “We’re heartsick for these folks. They’ve been like family to us for all these years.”
Kirksey says he and his brothers began building on the property in 1993, starting with the restaurant. Kirksey and Company owns all four buildings and the City of Morganton owns the Greenway.
“These buildings are remarkably pretty sound. I didn’t see any damage to the foundation and that’s crucial,” Kirksey said. “For the most part, it’s still pretty much intact.”
Kirksey said he and his brothers are hiring local contractors to get the work done. He estimates six months to eight months for repairs and renovations.
“We’re going to do our best. It’s going to be a long process,” Kirksey said.
Kirksey concluded with gratitude for the City of Morganton while they maneuver all that has happened at River Village.
“The city of Morganton has been remarkable. They want to see this back open because it’s such an asset to the greenway. We have a meeting this afternoon with the City manager, Sally Sandy, and then the county manager,” Kirksey said.
Sandy said on Wednesday that the City has not yet been able to assess the damage to the bridges and boardwalks, including the boardwalk that runs behind the River Village shops.
She did caution, however, that the evaluation process and the actual removal of debris from the 3.8-mile paved pathway will likely take “a long time.”
WEST UNION STREET PLAZA
This shopping center, anchored by Kimbrell’s Furniture, Ollie’s Discount Store, and Planet Fitness, was also heavily damaged as the low-lying area near Silver Creek was badly flooded by Helene.
Gina Powers, associate vice president of Kimbrell’s Furniture, was onsite at the location on West Union Street to assess damage. Kimbrell’s Furniture has been around for 109 years with 46 locations in the Carolinas and Georgia.
Previously, the store was located on West Union Street in downtown Morganton in the block across from Morganton Federal Savings – a block that was also home to a downtown Belk store.
“Indicators show that water was up six and half feet in the front of the store and up eight feet in the back, so everything inside is lost,” Powers said. “When that water came up, there was sewage and everything. It’s awful.”
According to Powers, employees of the Morganton location are now working in Lenoir to maintain their jobs. Eventually the company will create a mobile office in the parking lot during renovations to serve customers who will be able to order furniture directly from Lenoir.
Next door at Ollie’s, ServPro workers were hard at work inside with stringed lights hung throughout the once fully stocked bargain outlet. ServPro will soon move to the rest of the stores in the plaza, according to Powers.
Powers provided an estimated time frame for repairs.
“So far, there are many speculations, some people are saying 90 days, but I see every bit of six months,” Powers said.
PRE-LOVED BOUTIQUE
Wendy Kelley, owner of Pre-Loved Boutique, was onsite on Wednesday afternoon. According to Kelley, all contents of her store were deemed a total loss.
“I think we’re done with tears and the only thing we can do now is try to move forward and find a place to operate until the outcome is clear,” Kelley said. “The only thing we really know at this point is that the goal is to restore everything.”
The West Union Street Plaza houses Ollie’s Bargain Outlet, Planet Fitness, Kimbrell Furniture, Dollar General, Pre-Loved Boutique, Jackson Hewitt Tax Service, Vape Shop, McDonald’s, and KFC. All businesses in the West Union Street Plaza, with the exception of McDonald’s, are closed until further notice.
INCREASED POLICE PRESENCEBusinesses in these two centers and others have experienced a great loss, prompting an increased police presence to discourage theft.
At Kirksey and Company’s River Village, a Morganton Department of Public Safety (MDPS) vehicle is parked in the muddy lot.
“After this happened, we’ve run into many people that want to take stuff. We’ve had a lot that have come to snoop around, but that’s exactly why we have the police presence,” Kirksey said. “Plus the parking lot is so dark because the lights don’t work at night.”
MDPS patrol cars were also spotted at the West Union Street Plaza.
Josiah Brown, field operations captain for MDPS, addressed police presence following the hurricane.
“We are always concerned with the potential for theft after incidents like Hurricane Helene. MDPS was very proactive in the affected areas, providing extra patrols and being seen to reduce the likelihood that looting or theft would occur,” Brown said.
“We staffed extra officers on each shift after the incident to have more officers in those areas. MDPS provided 480 security checks and extra patrols from Sept. 27 to Oct. 8,” he added.
Charda Pearson may be reached at 828-445-8595, ext. 2012, or charda@thepaper.media.
