Marshall residents stay strong after Helene rips through small town

MARSHALL, N.C. (WGHP) — Marshall, North Carolina, is feeling the impacts of Hurricane Helene over a week after flood waters washed through the town.

Now, residents are digging the dirt out of their businesses and homes. It’s a process the town has been doing every day since the mud was two feet deep in some areas.

Karl Koga lived in the upstairs area of his building and was building a business on the first level of his building.

A 14-foot ceiling protected his upstairs, but the downstairs was wiped away. Before the weather got bad, Koga left, but it was a neighbor who told him what happened to his building.

“I didn’t want to see it. My friend Joel that lives by the jail … said he was at the courthouse watching my window bust in,” Koga said.

His neighbors tried to help him before the flood waters hit to prevent damage. It’s something Koga says is typical as everyone watches out for each other.

“But it didn’t matter. We had put all the furniture up as high as we could because we thought it was going to be like knee high … but it didn’t matter,” Koga said.

Down the street, another business is being dug out.

Volunteers from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, are working tirelessly to remove all of the built-up debris and mud.

Chester Petersheim and his team started in Asheville by using their own chainsaws to clear trees off the roads. They eventually made their way to Marshall where they found their help needed.

Businesses like Main Street Cafe in Marshall have been gutted from the inside with nothing salvageable. It’s been a heartbreaking process for the cafe’s chef, Eric George, as he sees his workplace in a new light.

“It (the mud) was about three or four feet. And then we had to get all the heavy ovens and everything out back. That was the worst part … getting all the heavy stuff out so we can get to where we are today. I enjoyed working here and know what it means to the community … It’s a staple. It’s a historic town, so this is a historic cafe. I’m just blessed to have all these people helping us,” George said.

As the community tries to move forward, it’s the help from people traveling from across the country such as Texas, Georgia and Pennsylvania, that continues to give the residents of Marshall hope.

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