Latest news with #AlexWebber
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
North Carolina cafe's story mirrors many hit by Hurricane Helene
The Brief It has been six months since Hurricane Helene devastated parts of North Carolina, and many are still picking up the pieces. Hurricane Helene hit on September 27, 2024, and floodwaters turned streets into raging rivers, washing away entire buildings in western North Carolina on September 28, 2024. A business owned by a former Georgia resident was destroyed but is now back in business. 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.
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
6 months after flooding as Helene moved through, community favorite businesses reopening
Thursday marks six months since Helene moved through Georgia and into North Carolina and left behind flooded homes and businesses. In September, Channel 2′s Bryan Mims went to the Asheville, N.C. area, which was among the hardest hit communities. Now, he's back in the same areas to see the progress they have made in recovery efforts. On Thursday, he was in Marshall, N.C. where the town's spirits were starting to rise. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] The Mad Co. Brewery was forced by floodwaters to shut down after Helene moved through. The Main Street brewery is considered a staple in the community. Mims was there as the business and townspeople celebrated the brewery's grand reopening. He also spoke with business owners who are happy to be back serving their community. Alex and Adam Webber own On Your Bike, a coffee shop and bike repair shop, that had to close. 'The water came up to the ceiling, all the windows broke out, the back wall broke out, everything was wiped out,' Alex Webber said. RELATED STORIES: 6 months after Helene moved through metro Atlanta, some homeowners are still waiting for repairs Helene six months later: Asheville's Biltmore Village businesses work toward reopening This is what you need to know if you applied for FEMA assistance in GA Adam Webber said the open sign in front of their shop is a sign that the town is coming back to normal. 'You know, you cut a tree down and you think it's dead, and then you start to see a green shoot pop up from the stump. That's what our open sign is. It means we're coming back,' he described. Alex Webber said getting the store back open took days of dirt and sweat. 'We were here every day, every weekend, every evening. We were just here the whole time, and we did a lot of work ourselves,' she said. Town hall and many businesses are still closed, but On Your Bike and Mad Co. Brewery reopening is bringing life back to the community. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
