Severe flooding from Tropical Depression Chantal damaged local favorites across Orange County. Support recovery by visiting temporary locations, donating and spreading the word.
By Libby Wakefield
A catastrophic amount of rainfall from Tropical Depression Chantal caused drastic flooding across Orange County in July, heavily damaging businesses – especially those in Eastgate Crossing and University Place in Chapel Hill, and institutions like The Expedition School in Hillsborough. The community can support affected businesses by visiting temporary locations while they work to reopen, shopping online, spreading the word and donating to GoFundMe pages.
Olmaz Jewelers
Olmaz Jewelers co-owner Elie Abou-Rjeileh watched floodwater pour into his store through security cameras on the evening of July 6. He rushed to get dressed and nearly
headed out, but, thankfully, his wife warned him of the danger, and he waited until the next morning. By then, the jewelry was fortunately salvageable, though much of the
interior – including electronics, furniture and the laser welder he had saved for years to buy – was destroyed. “Disposing of all those items, especially the handcrafted fixtures that made our store unique, was one of the most difficult parts of that week,” Elie says. The store set up a temporary location at University Place during restoration, but are now back at their original location and hope to reopen within the coming weeks. You can support its recovery through GoFundMe.
The Loop
The Loop in Eastgate Crossing took on nearly 6 feet of floodwater during the storm, destroying wiring, equipment and furniture, and forcing a full interior rebuild. General
manager and part-owner Scott Novak says renovations are underway, with plans to reopen as soon as possible. “This location has been good to us, and the community has been even better – we’re not leaving now,” Scott says. He and co-founder Mike Schneider hope to unveil a refreshed interior by year’s end. In the meantime, The Loop’s Durham location remains open, serving its signature pizzas, burgers, salads, sandwiches and handdipped milkshakes.
Yarns Etc …
Mary Stowe, owner of Yarns Etc., arrived at her store early on the morning of July 7, coffee in hand, to assess the damage left by the storm. Nearly 4 feet of water destroyed furniture, yarns set on the lower shelves, and her 40-year-old collection of knitting and pattern books. “As soon as customers, friends and people from my church, The Chapel of the Cross, heard about the flood, they came to help get any of the salvageable yarn out,” Mary says. “Someone brought drinks for everyone. Someone else bought sandwiches.” The outpouring of support motivated Mary to begin searching for a new location; she plans to reopen the store in November at a new space in Glen Lennox Shopping Center.
Clean Juice
Clean Juice owner Beth Ellis stayed at her store on the evening of July 6, hoping floodwaters would recede enough to prevent major damage. As the water continued to
rise, she returned home for the night, then came back at 5 a.m. with her husband, Kevin Ellis, the next morning to find nearly the entire inventory destroyed, except for a few nonfood items on higher shelves. “We are so very grateful to our friends in the community who showed up the days after the flood to help us remove all the spoiled food and damaged items from the store,” Beth says. Clean Juice is now working to rebuild and replace its equipment, with hopes to reopen by early December. The community can help by donating to the store’s GoFundMe.
Trader Joe’s
Trader Joe’s in Chapel Hill’s Eastgate Crossing reopened Aug. 18 after more than a month of repairs following damage from Tropical Depression Chantal. Employees were offered the opportunity to work at the store’s various nearby locations while restoration took place. Hours, according to its site, are 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day.
The Shoe Repair
Cindy Riggsbee, longtime owner of The Shoe Repair, learned of the flooding when her daughter called her on the morning of July 7. When she arrived and looked inside, all she could say was, “Lord have mercy.” Everything below 5 feet was destroyed – including machines, customers’ shoes, pocketbooks and other items. Cindy relocated within Mariakakis Plaza to Suite 9, a larger storefront with more workspace and storage, on Sept. 29. Cindy asks that the community donate to her GoFundMe to help with rebuilding and replacing damaged equipment or share her story with others.
Mariakakis Fine Food & Wine
Mariakakis Fine Food & Wine owner Johnny Mariakakis saw the storm forecast on the afternoon of July 6 and rushed to Mariakakis Plaza. He ended up trapped inside his store overnight while placing sandbags to protect his store and those of his tenants. Some tenants have closed, while others plan to relocate to avoid future flood damage. Several others have reopened or plan to soon, including Signs Now and The Shoe Repair. Johnny’s store reopened on Labor Day, but it lost most of its refrigeration equipment and all of its wine racks in the flood. The family is asking the community to support theirs and the plaza’s locally owned businesses through GoFundMe pages as recovery efforts continue.
WCHL
WCHL General Manager Aubrey Williams visited the station’s AM transmitter site on the morning of July 7 to assess damage from the storm. She was unable to enter until later that day, after water was pumped out, and found that all of the station’s equipment had been submerged under 5 feet of water. WCHL is temporarily broadcasting on
1360 AM, 97.9 FM and chapelboro.com while working to replace equipment and restore full operational power. As recovery continues, Aubrey is asking the community to support the station by donating to its GoFundMe or sharing its story.
Stoney River Steakhouse and Grill
The team at Stoney River Steakhouse and Grill began remediation efforts as soon as the 6-8 inches of water inside the restaurant receded the morning after July 6. While most of the dining room furniture could be saved, around 7,700 square feet – wood paneling, the kitchen ceiling, baseboards, carpet and tile flooring – suffered destruction. They worked quickly to reopen on Aug. 11 after five weeks of reconstruction. “We’re grateful for the incredible support from the Chapel Hill community. The best way to help our Stoney River team is to visit us now that we’ve reopened — bring family or friends, enjoy a meal and help us get back to doing what we love most: serving our guests,” Tiffany Martinez, a spokesperson for Stoney River, said.
Waxing the City
David Zonca, the owner of the Chapel Hill location of Waxing the City, found out his storefront flooded with 4.5 feet of water from friends at Olmaz Jewelers at 3 a.m. while on a trip to Morocco. They officially reopened the week of on Sept. 14 after recovering from damage to walls, wiring, flooring, equipment, inventory and furniture. “We are thankful for the incredible support of our clients who traveled to our West Cary location. It kept our Chapel Hill employees working during the two months of construction,” Owner Amal Zonca says.
School of Rock
School of Rock, located on the edge of Eastgate Crossing, sustained minimal damage from the storm thanks to its elevated location. The studio closed for three days after the flooding to address customer parking, blocked shopping center entrances and a water line problem. Staff members lost power and running water, and one employee’s car was totaled while parked at University Place. “Our business neighbors behind us were devastated,” says owner David Joseph. “A few places have reopened, but others, we’re hearing, are deciding to move to other locations or to not reopen at all. Supporting the businesses that have reopened will help. Parking is still limited – so being patient and kind will also help.”
Kumon of Carrboro
Siddisee Hirpa, owner of Kumon of Carrboro, awoke at 4 a.m. on July 7 to messages warning her of the flooding. She was visiting family in California at the time and went
straight to the center to assess the damage upon her return. Carpets, furniture, walls and teaching materials were all destroyed. “Our friends, families and community members have already been incredibly generous, and we’re so grateful for their support,” Siddisee says. “We know we’re providing a valuable service to the community, and an incident like this – especially with having to cover all the repair costs out of pocket – could have been devastating without their help.” You can support Kumon by donating to its GoFundMe to assist with repainting and replacing materials.
Blo Blow Dry Bar
Pragati Patel and Rahul Patel’s property manager called them at 9:27 p.m. on July 6 to warn them that their salon, Blo Blow Dry Bar, had taken on about six feet of water. When the flooding receded the next morning, they surveyed the damage and found that not much was salvageable, save for only a few products and pieces of equipment. For more than a month, the couple has been working to rebuild with the goal of reopening as soon as possible. “We do plan to reopen at Eastgate,” Rahul says. “That’s our intent. We want to be back to serve our guests.” In the meantime, clients can support the business at its temporary location in Salon Lofts at 201 S. Elliott Rd., Ste. 200, Loft No. 1.
Silverspot Cinema
The Silverspot Cinema team was on site at 8:30 a.m. July 7 to begin assessing the damage the storm had left on their theater. The theater’s carpeting was the primary loss, and fortunately, no projectors appear to have been affected. Restoration efforts included replacing all carpets, lighting and seating, plus renovating the concessions area. A new bar will be added soon. “The best way to support us [is] to come enjoy a movie with us – we can’t wait to welcome the community back,” says Gaby Ramirez, Silverspot’s marketing manager. Silverspot reopened its doors in early September.
The Flying Biscuit Cafe
One of the cooks from The Flying Biscuit Cafe sent owner Tahir Rafiq a video of floodwaters rushing through the area around 11:30 p.m. July 6. Tahir and his daughter arrived by midnight. Security escorted them into the restaurant, where they were met with knee-high water covering the dining room, kitchen and office after drains failed. The cafe operated on a takeout-only basis while repairs took place. The Flying Biscuit officially reopened on July 22; Tahir encourages the Chapel Hill community to show support by stopping in for breakfast, brunch or lunch.
Mill House Properties
Mill House Properties, located at least 10 feet from Eastgate Crossing, did not face flooding to their office, but did in their crawlspace. Water came in through the foundation vents after the crawlspace’s drain and sump pump failed, ruining their HVAC system and hot water heater, which have been replaced. Fortunately, they never had to close, but some employees worked remotely due to the lack of central AC. “We were the lucky ones,” Adam Jones, the owner of Mill House Properties, said.
The Chapel Hill Tennis Club
Despite damaged fencing and lights, losing six tennis courts, all of their pool pumps and furniture, The Chapel Hill Tennis Club stepped up to provide shelter to around 40 residents in the area whose homes flooded on the evening of July 6. The tennis club was able to have the pool and indoor tennis courts operational less than a month later on Aug. 1, but they ask the community to be patient as the six outdoor courts are still being rebuilt.
McPherson Cleaners
It was early on the morning of July 7 when Gary McPherson arrived at his dry cleaning store, McPherson Cleaners, after the flooding. Because most clothing was high above ground, few items were damaged, and ones that were lower to the ground, were able to be cleaned and repackaged. Other equipment and furniture such as counters and cash registers were left ruined. While they worked on restoring their storefront, Triangle Youth Ballet, a customer of theirs, kindly lent McPherson Cleaners space in their building. McPherson Cleaners reopened back in Eastgate in the beginning of September.
