SUMMERVILLE, Ga. – Heather and Nicholas Casey were supposed to be at a resort at the base of a volcano in Costa Rica for their 10th wedding anniversary this week instead of cleaning up the remnants of a waist-high flood that has threatened to destroy their livelihood.
As the two cleaned up the mess from the surging floodwaters, they wondered how much longer their business, a design and décor shop called Dirt, can survive damage from storms that turned parts of this northwest Georgia town into sodden swampland.
“We don’t want to shut our doors,” said Nicholas Casey. “But we’ve got to have help. It needs to be more than words.”
The Caseys and other Chattooga County residents were still in recovery mode on Wednesday after a series of storms ravaged the area about 90 miles northwest of Atlanta, dumping more than a foot of rain in some spots.
The flooding that followed knocked out water service to some areas and left parts of downtown underwater, prompting a visit from Gov. Brian Kemp and other state and local officials.
“We’re tackling everything that we can with any resource that we have. We have every resource we have available,” said the governor. “State government – we have been here and we’re not going anywhere.”
James Stallings, the head of Georgia’s emergency agency, said he’s requested assistance from the Small Business Administration and federal disaster officials but now “we’re more focused on just making sure safety and water and resources are available” to those in need.
The town of roughly 4,000 is home to plenty of them. Volunteers near Summerville City Hall gave out care packages of fruit, crackers and water to a long line of cars that snaked along several blocks. Workers tried to clear drains and restore water service to reopen schools and businesses.
Credit: Miguel Martinez
Credit: Miguel Martinez
“I’m depending on these gentlemen behind us to tell us our next move right now,” said Jared Hosmer, a Chattooga County native and former school administrator who now serves as the superintendent. “Our number one concern is making sure our kids have what they need.”
For the Caseys, the weekend storms are just the latest setback for their fledgling business.
They established their store in a forgotten building on the edge of downtown Summerville that was so derelict a tree was growing through the floorboards and a wall was left unrepaired after a drunken driver had crashed through it.
The Caseys poured their life into the business – and more than $250,000 of their savings. They hired about 30 staffers and charted out plans for an expansion, opening a bakery and coffee shop to serve as a community gathering place and a hangout for college football Saturdays.
But perennial flooding has clouded their dreams. They lost $50,000 worth of merchandise last year amid two downpours that submerged parts of their building. And Nicholas Casey estimated that the latest rainfall cost the business another $200,000.
More trouble could be on the way. Kemp warned that forecasters expect another string of storms on the horizon this weekend “and all Georgians need to be aware.”
Summerville Mayor Harry Harvey pleaded for patience.
“We are certainly trying to do what we can,” he said. “We have done some work as far as the creek is concerned but when we get a large amount of rain in a short period of time we are going to have some problems.”
Heather Casey hopes the town can better prepare for this round of severe weather by clearing out clogged storm drains and bolstering its drainage system. But she’s not optimistic.
“Yes, it was an unprecedented flood. But our risk could have been much less if it was ankle-deep water rather than waist-deep water. The response from the city was a lot of words. And we need action,” she said. “I don’t know how to recover from this financially.”
Credit: Miguel Martinez
Credit: Miguel Martinez
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