About the Episode

What happens after a natural disaster hits your Main Street? This episode provides insights on how Main Street leaders and business owners can learn how to be better prepared for disaster from others who have recently gone through recovery efforts.

In this special roundtable episode, host Matt Wagner sits down with community leaders from Spruce Pine, North Carolina, one year after Hurricane Helene devastated their downtown. Featuring Mayor Philip Hise, owners of DT’s Blue Ridge Java David Niven and Zan Sistare, Main Street Director Spencer Bost, and Town Manager Daniel Stines, this conversation goes beyond the immediate aftermath to address the complex realities of long-term recovery.

Located in the Appalachian Mountains with a population of approximately 2,300, Spruce Pine faced complete loss of water, power, and communication for 17 – 21 days. The town is now managing an estimated $50 million in municipal damages while supporting the recovery of downtown businesses like DT’s Blue Ridge Java. 

DT’s Blue Ridge Java was a recipient of Main Street America’s Backing Small Businesses Disaster Recovery Grant supported by American Express – in the episode, you’ll hear a bit about how the grant helped their recovery efforts. 

Discover the critical lessons they learned about: 

• Why communication infrastructure failure was more devastating than physical damage 

• What volunteer organizations made the difference in the first critical weeks 

• The reality of 15+ day delays in federal emergency response 

• Building improvements and infrastructure planning that matter for future mitigation 

Whether your community faces hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, or wildfires, these lessons apply. Learn what actually helps, what doesn’t, and ways to prepare your Main Street before disaster strikes. 

Join us as we hear directly from this resilient community about their experiences with loss, recovery, and rebuilding — and what other Main Street leaders and business owners can learn from their story. 

Looking for more disaster resilience resources? Download Main Street America’s Disaster Recovery & Resilience Toolkit here. 

Connect: 

• Learn about Downtown Spruce Pine 

• Learn about the Town of Spruce Pine 

• Learn about North Carolina Main Street & Rural Planning Center 

• Learn about Main Street America’s Backing Small Businesses Disaster Recovery Grant 

• Learn about DT’s Blue Ridge Java 

Episode Links: 

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