Mount Airy businesses work together to recover after widespread damage
By Jay Motiwala
Click here for updates on this story
MOUNT AIRY, N.C. (WXII) — Businesses along Riverside Drive in Mount Airy are reeling from extensive damage, with owners and the community coming together to clean up and rebuild.
“It’s like complete shock, just to see everything’s destroyed,” property owner Maria Perez said.
The damage spans from one business to the next, leaving owners devastated.
“It’s heartbreaking. You know this is my livelihood. This is how I feed my family, so it hurts,” said Shania Cornigan, owner of S & N Salon.
Cornigan said she is determined to move forward despite the challenges.
“I guess now we just have to rebuild it, start all over,” she said.
Other businesses in the area are facing similar struggles as they work to recover.
“We got about three feet worth of damage, water, level,” shop owner Beth Moore said.
For now, the focus is on cleaning up and salvaging as much as possible.
“In the moment it’s like, this is a total loss. When are we going to get back up and running for the community?” one person said.
Amid the destruction, a sense of community has emerged, with people coming together to support one another.
“I walked over and chatted with the owner of the Chop Shop, Jessica. We gave each other a big old hug,” Moore said.
Jessica Cockerham, the owner of the Chop Shop, expressed her gratitude for the outpouring of support.
“We have just a wonderful group of people that have come out and helped us,” Cockerham said.
Community members are encouraging others to lend a hand in any way they can.
“You can help by just doing the little things, bringing drinks, snacks, food, boxes,” Cockerham said
Cornigan added, “If you see somebody doing something, just help them.”
“Be there for your neighbors,” Moore said.
Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.