Slipping through the mud on Hill Street in Downtown Marshall, Connie Molland of the Downtown Marshall Association was stunned by the extent of the town’s destruction. Even opening the door to her downtown art studio proved difficult—the thick mud pressed against the inward-swinging door, and the historic hardwood floors had buckled and swollen beyond repair.

Nestled along the French Broad River, Marshall was founded in 1851 and has experienced its share of flooding over the years. However, Hurricane Helene brought devastation on an unprecedented scale. While previous storms caused issues primarily due to drainage, the town had made significant investments in its water infrastructure over the past decade. Though Marshall managed to maintain its city water system during the storm, the sewer system on Blannahassett Island, located in the middle of the river, sustained extensive damage.

Even with improved drainage, the overwhelming force of Helene’s floodwaters was impossible to mitigate. Businesses were inundated with 15 feet or more of rushing water. Some suffered shattered windows and total loss of inventory, while others were completely wiped away.

Kate Sonoskus, a Downtown Marshall Association member and co-owner of the Star Diner, traveled from Asheville to check on her business the Monday after the storm. She was greeted by a surreal scene of trucks, heavy machinery, and business owners tirelessly mucking out their properties.

“I came into town, and people were just scooping and dumping things,” Sonoskus said. “One guy was coming and trying to pick up a piece of equipment and toss it into the back of a truck. I was like, ‘Woah, woah, woah—do we have take piles and leave piles?’ It was wonderful so many people were trying to help, but I was concerned in those first few days that things were getting thrown out that people needed pictures of. You had to be there to protect your property from the kindness of strangers.”

Looting wasn’t a concern for business owners, according to Molland. The police blocked both ends of town to ensure safety, as the streets were littered with mud and debris.

“Just two weeks after the storm, 2,000 tons of material was delivered to the Madison County landfill,” Molland said. “We’re not talking about vegetative material. In that two-week period, the landfill accepted what they normally take during the span of a year, for free.”

Marshall’s early cleanup efforts were largely driven by business owners and community members, with little formal coordination and much emotional uncertainty. Within days, volunteers began gathering on the courthouse steps for daily debriefings. Grassroots initiatives and local organizations quickly mobilized to provide support.

Nanostead, a local tiny-home builder, spearheaded shuttle operations to minimize traffic downtown, reducing dust clouds from dried mud in the streets. The company distributed personal protective equipment, prepared food for volunteers, and helped connect business owners with local service providers.

The road to reopening is a long one. Every building in town suffered some level of damage, and 10 of the town’s 75 structures were completely lost. Business owners must coordinate with structural engineers, electricians, and architects to rebuild, all while grappling with mounting costs.

Financial challenges loom large. While some grants and loan programs are available, they often fall short of the significant expenses required to rebuild. Many business owners are hesitant to take on additional debt, and navigating the maze of financial assistance adds yet another layer of stress to an already overwhelming recovery process.

Despite the destruction, the Downtown Marshall Association is looking ahead, working on plans to welcome visitors back by the spring of 2025.

“We’ve been getting together to talk about how we will collectively help each other through this process,” Molland said. “There are some businesses that will be ready sooner than others, but we still want to have a first-phase reopening or grand opening kind of thing. We also don’t want to push anyone to open their business before they feel comfortable. When we think about what we’re going through, I am super grateful for the community that we have, that it’s a small town, and we all know each other. As much as the last two months have sucked in a lot of ways, we have a lot to be grateful for.”