“The destruction is just the first chapter, but the real story is the way people have responded,” Josh Copus, owner of Old Marshall Jail Hotel and Zadie’s said.
Marshall, a small town just north of Asheville, was one of the worst affected by the flooding on Sep. 27. Hurricane Helene replaced the Great Flood of 1916 as the worst storm in Marshall’s recorded history, with the French Broad River cresting at 24 feet compared to 23.1 feet in 1916. The damage to the town’s infrastructure was catastrophic.
The people of Marshall wasted no time responding to the devastation.
What began with Tasha Pumphery and a few friends grilling hotdogs and hamburgers in the Nanostead parking lot for people cleaning up downtown Marshall grew into a citizen run hub for Hurricane Helene relief and cleanup.
“The second we set up with the grill, trucks started pulling in. I still don’t know how it evolved so fast, the second people saw we were trying to help downtown, they wanted to help too,” Pumphery said.
Nanostead has been a cornerstone in the recovery and clean-up efforts, providing a command post for Pumphery and other coordinators, housing supplies for those affected by the hurricane and setting up a place where volunteers could be fed. Pumphery says the operation grew so much that they began answering calls for help in other areas affected by the flood that hadn’t received needed aid.
“Every single thing here grew out of somebody showing up and saying they have a need and us saying we’ll see if we can fill it as quickly as possible. It is seriously the fastest I’ve seen things manifest in my life. The second I write a need down, the very next person I talk to is the person who can fill it,” Pumphery said.
Volunteers who shuttled to Nanostead from the nearby Ingles parking lot were unloaded, briefed on health safety concerns, equipped with donated PPE and clean up supplies, then deployed to the downtown area to work in affected businesses and homes. Volunteer drivers filled the truck beds of their own vehicles to haul crews downtown. Residents waved and called out their gratitude as the trucks passed.
Nearly everyone volunteering wore Tyvek suits, rubber boots, thick rubber gloves and respirators. The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality recommends these precautions for anyone aiding in clean up due to concerns of toxic chemicals in the mud and dust, mold inside the buildings and emissions from running generators.
Volunteers came from near and far to work alongside Marshall residents. Among them was Sabra Freeman from Asheville. Once she got her own house settled, she saw the need for help in Marshall. At the time of the interview, she was still out of work due to no Wi-Fi and was happy to come and help.
“I have so much faith in our Western North Carolina community. Many of the homeowners and business owners I’ve talked to have been some of the most motivated, determined, uplifting people I’ve met. It’s really so heartening to see. I know in a lot of spaces where people are talking about the hurricane it’s all doom and gloom, but if you’re here in real life and talking to people, these are some of the most optimistic and hardworking people,” Freeman said.
Along with individual volunteers, Marshall received aid from a variety of other sources, including Federal Emergency Management Agency, Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and the U.S. Army. FEMA workers assisted residents in completing aid applications, EBCI Water and Sewer Department worked with the county on repairing infrastructure, soldiers suited up alongside volunteers to help clean up businesses and homes.
Sergeant Stouffer of the 101st Airborne Division traveled with his unit from Fort Campbell, Kentucky. He was posted at the first aid station and said they were there to assist in whatever way the volunteers asked.
“The 101st has always had a proud tradition of being there for the people. From what I’ve seen everyone is working together very well. It’s a great show of human spirit and coming together to be there for your fellow man,” Stouffer said.
Josh Copus, owner of Old Marshall Jail Hotel and Zadie’s, said the soldiers were a big help with cleanup efforts. He talked about his own experience with the flood and the cleanup. He spent five years renovating the building that he co-owns with three friends, then opened his hotel and restaurant in August 2021. After evacuating Friday, he returned on Saturday to wade into his still flooded building.
“At that point no one had communication, there was no cell service or internet. I think everyone just felt kind of alone. I woke up Sunday morning and the world seemed suspended. I didn’t know what to do, I didn’t know how to be. I decided I’m just going to go to the town. I just had to do something. When I got here, everyone was there. We said, ‘I guess we’ll just start now,’” said Copus.
He went on to say that the early implementation of an organized volunteer system by the residents is crucial to the success of the cleanup.
His business has transitioned from cleanup to rebuilding, something that he says he finds both exciting and daunting. Focusing on the tiny victories has been his motto though the recovery process.
Some residents and business owners will rebuild, others such as Judy Flemming will have to relocate. The apartment that she’s lived in since November 2010 was destroyed during the flood.
“Everything is gone,” she said as she sat outside her apartment building waiting to speak with a FEMA worker about getting aid.
With her apartment no longer livable, she plans to relocate to Virginia to live with her son. She said she’s been able to get plenty of help and supplies from volunteers and aid workers.
“I’m just glad everyone here in Marshall made it out,” Flemming said.
The town has a long road of rebuilding ahead, but Copus thinks if they keep their momentum and celebrate the small triumphs, it will make a swift recovery.
“The town isn’t the buildings, it’s the people. Our buildings were destroyed but our people are still here. And the people make the place,” Copus said. “You’ve got to start somewhere. If you just sit there, you can be paralyzed by the gravity of the destruction. Something small like the little triumph of getting the sidewalk clean adds up and gives you strength emotionally to take this tiny little part of this whole destroyed world and try to make it better.”
