In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, a family in the River Arts District is grappling with the loss of a 40-year-old business that was swept away by the historic storm.
"We've lost everything that my dad's worked 40 years for," Tracy Banks, whose father owned VJ's Auto Service, said. For years, the family has been dedicated to working on cars and helping the community. "Me and my brother both have worked for my dad since we've graduated high school. This is the only thing we know, is to work on people's cars and help so many families out here," Banks said.Now, they face the daunting task of cleaning up. "Everything was flipped upside down, toolboxes and digging in mud to find just the littlest piece of tool, one of our sockets," Brown said.
Access to the area has improved, but uncertainty looms. "They have been better today about letting people in. They are making you tell exactly what location you're going to. I even had to give a description of what my dad was driving into his shop today to even be able to get in," Banks said.