Rain delay: Chapel Hill businesses hope for dry spell to rebound from recent floods

The threat of heavy rain and thunderstorms is always persistent during Triangle summers.

Some of the hardest-hit spots from recent downpours are hoping for a much-needed reprieve from the rain to get back on their feet.

Almost every business in Chapel Hill’s Eastgate Crossing was impacted when a nearby creek overflowed during Tropical Depression Chantal. In total, Orange County Emergency Management estimates people in the county lost $22.6 million.

A week later, many of those businesses are still shuttered.

A lot of people said they still don’t know when they’ll be able to reopen. For some merchants, the power is still off.

Business owners are hopeful there won’t be any more flooding on Monday night.

Chapel Hill Small business owner Christopher Arnett arrived at a studio full of water last Monday morning.

“I was like ‘ugh, it’s gone,'” Arnett said. “And then I think from that
moment, it was kind of peaceful grieving as I’ve gone through stuff.”

While everything below the water line was ruined, books on high shelves and art up on the wall can be salvaged.

“What you truly value should be elevated in life, I
kind of like the symbolism of that,” Arnett said.

Arnet is using the flood as a fresh start, planning to add a coffee component to his music and film studio.

“Now that we kind of had the clearing, I’m gonna use this
opportunity as a phoenix, coming out of the ashes as a rebirth.”

Orange County was one of the hardest hit by Chantal in estimated losses of public damages.

Person County Emergency Management said all boat docks on Hyco Lake were impacted.

Chatham County racked up road issues, with 79 reports of flooded roads, 75 reports of trees down, 32 water rescues and 21 traffic collisions.

Theodore Bakatsias and his brother own Kipos Greek Taverna in Eastgate Crossing.

“Came here to see this mess,” Theodore said. “It’s a disaster…a disaster. I’ve never seen anything like that.”

While they wait for power and gas, they’re fundraising to support their 60 employees out of work.

“I’ve been doing this all my life, since I was about 20
years old…that’s restaurant life,” Theodore said.

A study released Monday from UNC shows repetitive flooding in our state is more widespread than previously thought and it’s happening outside of places considered high risk.