ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — When Tropical Storm Helene sent floodwaters surging through Western North Carolina last year, homes and businesses weren’t the only buildings washed away — several post offices were lost, too.
Residents in Alexander, Marshall and Swannanoa have spent months without local mail service. Service in Alexander was finally restored in July, nearly 10 months after flooding forced the post office to close for repairs.
In Swannanoa, residents have long cited three major needs since Helene: a grocery store, a hardware store and a post office. Progress on two of those fronts is now underway.
In August, Rite Buy Grocery announced plans to open a store in Beacon Village, offering fresh produce, meat, dairy and bulk pantry staples. The following month, Peter and Beth Ballhaussen — owners of Town Hardware and General Store in Black Mountain — revealed plans to open a new hardware store in the same shopping area.
Earlier this month, Ingles Markets submitted plans for a new 95,000-square-foot supermarket to replace its flood-damaged Swannanoa location
