Helene 2024
The Great Flood.
On September 27, 2024, our world and the Western North Carolina community changed. After days of inundating rain, the remnants of Hurricane Helene entered our corner of the Appalachian Mountains. What followed was historic, catastrophic, and life-changing.
Rain had already been falling in and around Asheville when a low-pressure weather system stalled over our area around Tuesday, September 24. By the time Helene made her way up to the Carolinas, the soil was already saturated and runoff from the mountains was already beginning to cause rivers like the French Broad and Swannanoa to swell. As the storm hit on Thursday night and lingered into Friday morning, the additional rain plus tropical storm and even hurricane-force wind gusts caused biblical levels of destruction.
Dan and I, along with our son, Max watched in horror as cars and telephone poles floated by on our street, Riverside Drive, and began to lap at the front door of our Chocolate Factory on Friday morning. Fortunately, our team's preparation in sandbagging the front door prevented most of the water from breaching the interior. The water rose to 39" up our front door.
From the Asheville Citizen-Times:
In Asheville, areas including Biltmore Village were devastated by flooding. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Swannanoa River at Biltmore crested at 26.1 feet, nearly 6 feet above the record, at 3:45 p.m. Friday. As of 10:30 p.m., the river was down to 20.9 feet. ... This was also more than five feet above what it did at its maximum in 1916 and slightly above the apparent 26-foot crest in April 1791, noted the climate office."
Asheville's Great Flood of 1916 saw the French Broad River crest at around 17 feet above flood stage; about 23.1 feet. Approximately 80 people were killed.
Before the storm
The front of our Chocolate Factory & Cafe on Tuesday evening before the storm's arrival.
Inside the Factory
With water lapping at the front doors, our sandbagging did seem to prevent some of the floodwaters from entering.
The Flood
Despite our best efforts, water did eventually flow inside, reaching about 8 inches and destroying our cafe area, classroom, and retail space. Our chocolate-making equipment, miraculously, was spared.
On October 23, 2024, we started making chocolate again in our Chocolate Factory! We acquired a 3,000 gallon tank and were able to have potable water trucked in each week from South Carolina. Our production team was able to come back and continue with their craft.
As of November, things were still really hard. There was no potable water coming through the taps since the storm. We were, of course, grateful for the brownish chlorinated water we did have - at least we didn't have to carry buckets of water into our homes and businesses to flush! Most (but not all) of us had power re-established at that point. The wreckage, however, was endlessly being pushed by earth moving equipment into giant piles, leaving dust and mud in place of our neighbors' businesses and homes. But slowly, and with the help of our community, neighbors, and kind strangers, we are getting back on our feet.
Now, nearly a year later, driving down Riverside Drive to get to our Chocolate Factory is still sobering, and feels familiar, but still unrecognizable. Your support buoys us, so thank you for being with us.
It has taken incredible persistence to come this far, and after late shipments, setbacks, and the emotional toll of going home to sometimes dark houses without running water, we are still here and still standing.
Clockwise from left: The gymnastics auditorium across the street from our Chocolate Factory. Dan, our co-founder, in front of the 3000 lb water tank that allowed us to make chocolate after the storm. The destruction along Riverside Drive about a month after Helene. The front of the Chocolate Factory on Friday afternoon as the waters receded.
Left to right: The gymnastics auditorium across the street from our Chocolate Factory. Dan, our co-founder, in front of the 3000 lb water tank that allowed us to make chocolate after the storm. The destruction along Riverside Drive about a month after Helene. The front of the Chocolate Factory on Friday afternoon as the waters receded.
How You Can Help Us
We appreciate the kindness and generosity of your donations, which go directly to rebuilding our business after months of stalled progress and lost sales. It also allows us to keep our wonderful chocolate makers, baristas, confectioners, and staff employed.
We ship nationwide and have a melt-free guarantee! Share us with your family and friends, or stock your pantry with our handcrafted chocolate for your own special moments.
Coming to Asheville? Visit our flagship dessert restaurant - our Chocolate Lounge - in downtown Asheville; or book a tour at our Chocolate Factory and experience the magic of watching cacao beans transform into delicious chocolate!