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Photo courtesy of Beacon Veterinary Hospital

The spray-painted message "We'll be back" on the Beacon Veterinary Hospital building signals the intent of owner Dr. Jeff Johansson to reopen his practice in Swannanoa, North Carolina, which was swamped by Hurricane Helene in September.

Three weeks after Hurricane Helene blew through, Dr. Otto Sharp stood outside the animal hospital he owns in western North Carolina, flanked by his staff. Situated near the Swannanoa River, the clinic's fence and landscaping had been swept away and its foundation damaged. Brown water and mud had oozed under the door into the reception area.

But Sharp wasn't there to lament their lot. Instead, he read a statement he'd prepared in advance, not wanting to wing such an important moment. In it, he expressed pride in his team, who, for three weeks after the disaster, volunteered their time to provide free medical care to affected animals, even as many had, themselves, sustained flood or landslide damage to their homes.

"I wanted to honor my staff's hard work of being there for 21 straight days serving our community," Sharp later told VIN News Service in an interview.

His words of gratitude that autumn day were nearly drowned out by a stream of dump trucks, some carting away rubble, others bringing in rocks to shore up washed-out roads; their rumble a soundtrack to the disaster the community had just experienced.

Helene made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane six months ago, on Sept. 26, 2024, in Florida. Moving inland, Helene caused the most damage in and around Asheville, North Carolina, on the following day. Swannanoa, a census-designated area ringed by mountains about 10 miles east of Asheville, was one of the places hardest hit.

Having worked in Swannanoa for 25 years, Sharp said, he'd seen powerful storms before, but none had been preceded by heavy rains for days beforehand. The deluge loosened the ground and overwhelmed the river. "We had the perfect setup for a perfect disaster," he said.

To understand the magnitude of the flooding, consider that two weeks before the storm, the river was at 1.4 feet, according to a U.S. Geological Survey measurement. During Helene's rampage, it peaked at over 27 feet.

Though the river has since receded, real recovery from a disaster can take years. It took five months for the bridge that connects both sides of Swannanoa to be passable again. Of the 10 or so restaurants in town, Sharp estimates only three have reopened. Shops along the riverfront remain closed, he said.

"If you went there today, it looks like the flood happened yesterday," Sharp said.

There's also the added stress that downed trees and debris created by the storm could become fuel for wildfires. Much of North Carolina currently is in a moderate drought, while the Asheville region is abnormally dry and under a red flag warning today as one fire burns to the west of the city and three to the south. Of the four, three are 0% contained as of this afternoon.

Helene caused at least 14 animal clinics in the state to close until further notice; 50 others operated at limited capacity, according to a Nov. 12 news report by the American Veterinary Medical Association. Swannanoa had one of each.

Sharp's practice is one of two veterinary clinics in the town of around 6,000 people. The other, Beacon Veterinary Hospital, is owned by Dr. Jeff Johansson. While dealing with their own damage and repairs, Johansson and Sharp have been contributing to recovery in the region as a whole by providing critical pet care or participating in advocacy. Along the way, they've learned some hard truths about insurance and happier truths about the power of professional and community connections.

Insurance woes

In the first few days after the storm, Johansson was confined to his home, normally a 20-minute drive from the clinic. Large hardwood trees had fallen, roads were washed out and impassable, and telephone service was down. The creek that flows near his house rose 20 feet, and about 20 junk tires washed up on the property.

"Nobody really knew how bad things were outside of their immediate area," Johansson said.

He managed to make contact a few days later with his office manager, who had seen the storm's impact to the clinic. She told him: "It's gone."

The building was still standing, but its interior was gutted. Water had risen up to seven feet inside, carrying away doors, support beams and equipment.

In a second blow, many home and business owners learned that their insurance wouldn't cover the damage. Flood coverage is not part of standard home or business policies but is sold separately. According to the Asheville Watchdog, fewer than 1% of structures in Buncombe County, which encompasses Asheville and Swannanoa, had flood insurance.

Johansson is one of the rarities, having flood coverage on his clinic. He hopes to demolish what's left and erect a building that is more flood-resistant, by, for example, being elevated.

However, obtaining the compensation that he expects from his insurance coverage, Johansson has found, is a job in itself. After waiting months for an adjuster's decision and never receiving promised advance claim checks, Johansson was distressed to be offered less than 50% of his policy's coverage. He's learned that the policy will cover only replacing the current structure, not the cost of bringing the building into compliance with current code, which calls for elevating the building by two feet. He is now contesting the claim payout offer.

Sharp, for his part, did not purchase flood insurance for his clinic, Swannanoa Valley Animal Hospital, due to the high cost of the policy. However, he thought his "disruption" coverage would cover some of the loss, he said. It does not.

"Before a disaster happens, you really need to look over your insurance policies," Sharp advised, "because you may not be covered like you think you are."

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Photo courtesy of Beacon Veterinary Hospital

An aerial view shows Beacon Veterinary Hospital engulfed in floodwaters after the Swannanoa River overflowed its banks during an unprecedented period of rain capped by the arrival of Helene.

Veterinary care after a disaster

Six months into the recovery process, many Swannanoa residents are in temporary housing. A state report in December estimated that Helene damaged as many as 73,000 homes in North Carolina. As his practice has regained its footing, Sharp has had to answer a critical question: How do you best serve as a veterinarian in a community where some clients have lost their homes?

The answer for him has been to waive the cost of veterinary care for pets of displaced owners — an expense that is partially offset by donations to an "angel fund" the clinic established. Clients can also pick up free leashes, collars and pet food there. Giving away services may not be great for business in the short term, Sharp said, but he believes supporting struggling community members creates the best chance for long-term recovery.

"We're back up and running at full force, but we're still giving free care to whoever needs it," Sharp said. "Post-Helene business numbers aren't good, but we're paying our bills, we're paying our staff and we are staying open."

To develop resiliency, Sharp advises veterinarians everywhere to be on friendly terms with colleagues inside and outside of the veterinary community. Sharp's network included pharmacies and other businesses and the North Carolina Veterinary Medical Association. In the immediate aftermath of the storm, knowing one another enabled them to share resources and information.

"Before a disaster happens, know your vet colleagues," Sharp recommended. "Be on a first-name basis, know their staff, know their clinic's doctors and have each practice owner's personal cell number in your contacts."

Sharp's broader network includes veterinary school classmates, whom he called lifesavers. "They sent me supplies, volunteered and, most important, they gave me emotional support to get through each day," he said.

Grassroots advocacy

Connections are what helped Johansson find temporary practice space after his clinic was destroyed. One of his staff members had a pet that was a patient of a veterinary oncologist in Asheville. After two months without a practice building, Johansson and his team were offered space — a few exam rooms and a treatment area — where the oncologist practices. The arrangement has been game-changing, although Johansson can't do dental work or surgery there. He said his practice's revenues are down by about 50%.

Despite his temporary displacement from the community, Johansson is now more involved in Swannanoa than ever before. He's become a small business representative for the Swannanoa Grassroots Alliance (SGA), a volunteer group that emerged from the disaster and focuses on issues such as medical care access, housing insecurity and business recovery.

In this role, he's become an advocate for Swannanoa. The state elected a new governor in November, and on the first day of Gov. Josh Stein's term in January, Johansson met with him to share the story of his clinic and community.

Johansson showed Stein how much debris remained. He showed him the collapsed buildings and the sinkholes — how it looked like the storm had just passed through. "It's pretty easy to feel like this area is being forgotten," Johansson said at the time. "I know that's not the case. It's just that there's no tangible evidence of it on the ground."

Local organizing efforts have propelled a lot of the recovery, Johansson said, providing him with a source of motivation. The SGA has partnered with a regional nonprofit working on sustainable energy, MountainTrue, which has assembled a volunteer team of environmental consultants, architects, civil and structural engineers and more to help Swannanoa rebuild with as much disaster resilience as possible.

"It's also kind of a kick in the seat to just keep going, keep making connections and to know that nothing's going to happen quickly," Johansson said. "The more connections you make, the more that you know people can be strategic in terms of advocating for disaster relief … and the more complete recovery can be."

With that in mind, Johansson's sights are on rebuilding, however long it takes. "You do the work, you trudge through the insurance disputes, and you dream of what it's going to be like to open the doors to the new place someday," he said.