WATAUGA COUNTY, N.C. — Nearly a year after Hurricane Helene unleashed more than two feet of rain across parts of western North Carolina, businesses along Highway 321 in Watauga County are still trying to recover. The storm knocked down hundreds of trees, flooded buildings, and destroyed equipment, but local shop owners say they’re open and they want visitors to know they’re ready to welcome them back.

For Sharon Kay Gragg, who has run Black Bear General Store with her husband for 15 years, the last year has been the toughest they’ve ever faced.

“They had the road shut off for five months, so we would sit here all day and nobody would even stop,” Gragg said. “October is our make-it-or-break-it. We usually make 30-40% of our total sales then. Last October, we made just nine percent.”

The

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