Grant program assists Jackson businesses post-Helene
Jackson County experienced flooding and wind damage from Hurricane Helene. Donated photo
In the wake of Hurricane Helene, Jackson County Economic Development has put together a grant opportunity for businesses impacted by the storm.
“The key part of retaining businesses is supporting them through difficult times, which is why these flood recovery grants for Dillsboro are so important,” said Betsy Norwood, business retention and expansion program administrator for Jackson County Economic Development.
Flooding and wind damage from Hurricane Helene left thousands in the county without power, water and telephone or internet services in the days following the storm. But the worst commercial damage by far took place in Dillsboro.
The town experienced significant flooding when Scott Creek slipped its banks and spread out to cover almost all of Front Street in a shallow pool of water on Friday, Sept. 30.
“They are the only area of Jackson County that had businesses impacted with flood damage or physical property damage due to the hurricane,” said Economic Development Director Tiffany Henry.
Out of 14 businesses that were impacted in Dillsboro, several had not reopened as of Oct. 15, because they were still cleaning up. Those that have reopened have still incurred significant cleanup costs.
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Jackson County Economic Development requested $15,000 from the county to grant to the Chamber of Commerce for it to distribute to businesses affected in Dillsboro. Commissioners unanimously approved the request and the grant program during their Oct. 15 meeting.
“This is not a grant for loss of revenue, this is for physical property damage,” said Henry. “This is a clean-up grant to allow them to clean up their space, their inventory and get them reopened here in Dillsboro.”
The money will be offered to businesses as one-time grants in the amount of $1,000 for each business. The funding period will last until the end of November, or the point at which funds are exhausted. The money is offered as a grant, not a loan, and therefore never has to be paid back.
The economic impact of storm damage on Dillsboro was compounded by the fact that the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad, normally running through Dillsboro and bringing train loads of tourists with it, was not running its normal route to Dillsboro, due to storm damage, until the week of Oct. 14.
“So even though the businesses that weren’t really impacted were able to open, they didn’t see the benefit of the train during that time and that was a ripple effect of Helene,” said Henry.
Dillsboro also had to cancel its ColorFest originally scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 5, out of abundance of caution and to comply with travel bans that were still in place during that time. Like many towns in Western North Carolina, fall is a popular time for tourists to visit the area and many small businesses make the bulk of their income during this season.
“By helping these businesses recover, we can maintain economic stability, build long term resilience and make Jackson County a more attractive place for future investment and growth,” said Norwood.
