The beginning story of how Frog Level businesses of Waynesville, NC came together to rebuild tomorrow.
Community is everything to us here in Western North Carolina. Waynesville is one of many small towns devastated by the flooding. A flood which ravaged so many of businesses, homes, and places we find our peace and sense of community.
The first week after the storm has come with as many ups and downs as you can expect. From seeing the flooding rise, pushing itself through every inch it could, to being helpless to do anything about it. After the flood waters receded, picking up the pieces has become a never ending struggle that we couldn’t find a way out of, without one another.
Below is a story about Frog Level, a Downtown Waynesville, NC staple that has become well-known for its variety of friendly and inclusive shops, breweries, and coffee joints. The last two years it’s seen incredible growth with its additions of the Funky Fern Emporium, Roll-Up Herbal Bar & Mocktail Lounge, Cultivate Plant Shop, and of course Soul Sisters Depot. All of which have become family through this storm, if they weren't already before.
Saturday, September 28th 2024 the day after Helene passed, my wife and I found our way through closed streets, broken roads and barricades to try and see what the Frog Level area looked like after we saw the waters rising over 5 feet on a Facebook post by Orchard Coffee owner Cabell Tice, the day before. The post showed unexpected flash flooding in the area that was so unexpected, we began to cry. Gasping at the images we looked at each other and felt hope instantly leave our bodies. We were there two days ago. Looking at the favorite parts of our town and loving that this is the place where we decided to sow the seeds of our future, two years ago to the day.
We found the closest parking spot we could and in disbelief walked through the mud and broken asphalt. Whole parking lots were lifted and ripped out of the ground, the roads covered in a foot of muck. The business owners of our favorite shops were pulling out what merchandise they could salvage, pushing wet dirt and debris through their front doors to the street, and trying to hold back tears.
Funky Fern was the closest store to us so we walked over there to see if there was anything we could do to help. Faces hung low with wading boots high. We walked into their shop where much of what they were able to salvage had been moved outside and packed into trucks or cars of family and friends for safe keeping. My wife and I asked what we could do to help. Kristyn & Carrie, the owners and main faces of the business, said they were still assessing what was salvageable. They asked us come back in about 3 hours as they may need some places to keep shelving units they were trying to save. We exchanged hugs, said we would be back, and went back to the street to see the rest of the area.
Cultivate and Soul Sisters had a ton of people helping them to get items out of their shops. From afar we exchanged acknowledgment of one another and feelings of “what now” that were fresh in everyone's minds. Soon after, we left and planned to come back later that day.
5pm rolled around and I headed back to Frog Level without my wife, so I had more space in the SUV to bring items the Funky Fern may need to get into dry storage. The streets were closed and cleanup crews were working as fast as possible to get the main drive usable. There were so many without cell service, power, and water in the area. So many used Dellwood as an access to needed supplies. I was able to move a barricade by the salt plant out of the way to get my car through to the front of the Funky Fern. I went around back and asked, “What can I take for you?”. They let me know that Monte Bumbernick, the manager of Frog Level Brewing, said they could store their items for the time being in the event space next door that Frog Level Brewing leased called the Lineside.
This was AMAZING. It was a 50 foot walk away. 6-7 of us, including Sam Kearney the owner of the Roll-up Herbal Bar (who also just lost everything in the flood that was located on the lower portion of the Lineside), were able to move in all the shelving, racks, mannequins and everything left that was salvageable into the Lineside in about 20 minutes. Krysten and I wiped items down and tried to get as much mud off of items that we could.
I popped my head into the Herbal Bar and saw the floor caked in mud and silt strewn through the window frames. The water has lifted her fridges and moved them which ended up being a total loss. She was able to remove what she could and got right to helping her neighbors try and salvage what they could. This is the kind of woman who I am very proud to call my friend.
After we got everything into the Lineside, many of us headed down to Frog Level Brewing for a beer to go. They were cleaning their beloved back space that had been washed away by the quick rise of water from the creek in the back. This creek is where so many of us spent endless afternoons and nights with those we loved. Their local music was legendary, including the ever popular Natti Love Joys, my personal favorite band they brought in. Their back venue was everything you could want. The creek waters rolling past their many tables in the back and the area lit with lights, the space was always filled with laughter. To see it washed away, for me, was a tear to the heart.
I had never met Monte the manager before. I had spoken to him many times before though as he hosts many local events there. I am also the Events Coordinator for the local Sarge’s Animal Rescue and he invites us to every event he helps to throw at Frog Level. I had seen him walking away from talking to Carrie earlier, so knew his figure and the hat he had on. Walking up to him I said, “You’re Monte, right?”. He replied, “Yes!”. I said, “My name is Ellyse, I’m the Events Coordinator at Sarge’s, we’ve spoken in email and I wanted to say thank you for everything you are doing for the community right now, and always have. Truly, thank you.”
He remembered me and we exchanged some small kind words. I bought a 6-pack of my favorite local beer Salamander Slam, plus some ciders for my wife so I could support them. A few of us stood around and cracked open a can of beer to talk about what was going on in town.
Soon after we all parted ways and headed home to try and reel in our emotions from the day and plan for the next.
The next few days were different for us all. Similar in the fact that we were finding ways to piece together our lives, and businesses, the best we could. On Sunday I was able to bring a dehumidifier for Funky Fern for them to use to try to get out as much moisture from the walls that they could. Sadly, within 48 hours Carrie told me I could come and pick it. The disaster inspector had come in and told them that there was so much damage. To the walls, foundation, and roof that they didn’t expect them to be able to reopen their doors. Efforts to salvage it were ultimately futile. The same was said to Sam of the Herbal Bar as well as Cultivate.
But, what you read next is why you are here reading this story in the first place, the silver lining that came in the way of community support and connection.
Axe and Awl Leatherworks are co-owners of Cultivate Plant Shop and they were one of the lucky businesses. They are located a few hundred yards up Depot Street, joining walls with Orchard Coffee. Through the anguish of losing the plant shop they found a way to bring all of the struggling businesses of Frog Level together for an amazing 2-night event. It was the epitome of the words ‘a packed house’. Friday October 4th and Saturday October 5th, from 5:30pm until “whenever the last people leave” as stated by Axe & Awl co-owner Courtney, they hosted all the small businesses within their shop to help them sell salvaged artworks, plants, clothing, jewelry and merchandise to help them stay afloat and raise money they very much need to keep going.
Even with a full bar slinging drinks all night, they welcomed Sam and her Herbal Bar lemonade stand. She was set up by all the merchants in the back to help her get back on her feet. People were coming up giving money to these small businesses without buying anything. It was incredible to see.
Social media has been the lifeblood of our connection this last week and a half. We have learned so much about one another and who surrounds our everyday lives.
Because of our deep connections over the years, and community members becoming small business owners over time, here the following success stories have occurred:
Sam and her Herbal Bar were welcomed to a place in the new Church Street Studios. Starting in November 2024 this will be the home of the Roll-Up Herbal Bar.
The Funky Fern will have a pop-up space in the popular Main Street 828 Market until they find a new location. They have since taken their items out of the Lineside and brought them over to my little warehouse for safe keeping, where we washed and sanitized them all.
Cultivate Plant Shop, co-owned by Axe & Awl, will likely be selling plants in the leather shop until they figure out their next move.
Frog Level Brewing has since re-graveled their back creekside portion that was washed away and added new tables. I was there October 12th and it was like old times again.
Our Main Street Downtown area was untouched and ready for business during our cherished 'leaf looking season'.
So quickly our community has come together to help one another survive, to thrive, and to find solace in any moment we can. I have personally grown closer with many of these people, enough so to now call them a cherished friend. From sharing hugs, words, and tears we have grown in this state of trauma and unknowing in ways we never thought we would have to. But, together we really are stronger and I am a better person from knowing them all.
The articles after this, over the next few days, will be the personal stories from these above named small businesses, through Helene and after. I will also be sharing how you can help them through this very hard time.
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