Business Growth

IN OUR STATE AND THE RUSHING FLOODWATERS SWEPT AWAY HOMES AND LIVELIHOODS IN THE MOUNTAINS. CHRIS PETERSON MADE THE TRIP WEST TO OLD FORT AND SPOKE WITH TWO BUSINESS OWNERS WHO ARE NOW HAVING TO REBUILD THEIR LIVES. THE WHALEYS OPENED THIS BREWERY IN DOWNTOWN OLD FORT AFTER YEARS OF FARMING. IT MAY BE MONTHS BEFORE THEY CAN REOPEN, BUT THEY CONSIDER THEMSELVES LUCKY. CHRIS WHALEY BROKE DOWN AS HE TALKED ABOUT THE DESTRUCTION IN AN OLD FORT AND THE NEEDS OF THIS COMMUNITY. WHALEY AND HIS WIFE, JESSICA, OWN WHALEY FARM BREWERY IN DOWNTOWN OLD FORT. IT SITS ON THE BANKS OF MILL CREEK, WHICH FLOODED WHEN TROPICAL STORM HELENE CAME THROUGH. I MEAN, ITS PRETTY MUCH TOTALLY DEVASTATED, BUT THE WALLS ARE UP, SO THATS GREAT. AND, YOU KNOW, FROM THERE WELL WELL JUST HAVE TO SEE. THE MORE WE DIG AND THE MORE WE WE SORT OF SIFT THROUGH EVERYTHING AND SEE WHATS WHATS SALVAGEABLE AND, AND WHATNOT. YOU CAN HEAR THE EMOTION IN WHALEYS VOICE AS HE DESCRIBES HOW HE AND HIS WIFE CLIMBED OUT OF THEIR HOME AND MADE IT INTO TOWN. WE CLIMBED OUT, AND THEN LUCKILY, OUR NEIGHBORS DROVE US SO WE WERE ABLE TO GET ON THE HIGHWAY AND COME THROUGH. WHAT WAS THAT LIKE FOR YOU? OH, STRESSFUL. BUT WE WERE ALL ALIVE. ALL OF OUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY ARE ALIVE, SO ITS GOOD. WHALEY SAYS HE WAS SHOCKED AS THEY DROVE THROUGH OLD FORT AND SAW THE DESTRUCTION. IM JUST SEEING EVERYBODY WALKING AROUND. SEEMS LIKE EVERYBODY WAS IN THE SAME MENTAL SPACE. JUST DONT KNOW WHAT TO DO. AND IM SURE A LOT OF PEOPLE WALKING AROUND BECAUSE THEY DONT HAVE HOMES RIGHT NOW, SO. WHALEY SAYS ONCE THE MUD AND DEBRIS IS CLEARED, THEYLL HAVE TO CHECK THE BUILDING TO MAKE SURE ITS STRUCTURALLY SOUND. A PROCESS THAT COULD TAKE MONTHS. YEAH, ITLL BE MAJOR, MAJOR ISSUES GETTING IN TO SEE IF ITS GOING TO BE STRUCTURALLY SALVAGEABLE IN MOST PARTS. BUT JESSICA WHALEY SAYS DESPITE THE MESS SHE FEELS LUCKY. THERES TOWNS LIKE CHIMNEY ROCK IS COMPLETELY GONE. THE WHOLE TOWN JUST WIPED OFF THE MAP. SWANNANOA REALLY BAD. SO WERE. I FEEL LIKE WERE WERE LUCKY. WERE BETTER OFF THAN MOST. THE WHALEYS SAY THEYRE GRATEFUL FOR FRIENDS AND A COMMUNITY OF ENTREPRENEURS WHO ARE HELPING EACH