Marshall, a small mountain town in Madison County, North Carolina, sits on a small strip of land between a steep mountain and the French Broad River. Over the past six months we have been visiting and filming there for an episode we had planned about the town.
Over the past few years, the town had gone through somewhat of a Renaissance with new businesses and craft studios opening there. In one day, that was all washed away.
On Friday, September 27, 2024, Hurricane Helene hit western North Carolina dumping over two feet of rain on some parts of the mountains. Debris-filled water hit the south end of Marshall, knocking down almost every building. Storefront businesses in town were ruined with over six feet of water on their main floors.
In this episode we talk with my longtime friend, Josh Copus, who runs the Old Marshall Jail Hotel and Zadie’s Restaurant, about his first-hand experience being there during the storm. He was in town that Friday morning preparing for the flooding. By 9:30 the water was over the railroad tracks next to his business and by noon there was a river flowing down Main Street.
The water continued to rise before cresting at 27 feet, surpassing the levels of the historic 1916 flood, which has always been the benchmark to compare flooding in our area. By Saturday afternoon the water had gone down enough for folks to get into town to survey the damage, and on Sunday the cleanup effort began, even before the waters had fully receded from the streets.
We also take a look at what Marshall looked like before the storm, for those who have not had a chance to visit this unique mountain town.
Links:
Barnwell Photography/books:
www.barnwellphoto.com
How to help Marshall:
www.helpmarshall.org/
Old Marshall Jail Hotel/Josh Copus:
oldmarshalljail.com/
LCD aerial photography:
LCDdronephotos