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Haw River Canoe and Kayak Company had to shut down for weeks and pause its summer camp.

SAXAPAHAW, N.C. — Just one day before Tropical Storm Chantal brought heavy rains to the region, the Haw River Canoe & Kayak Company experienced its highest-grossing day on record.

“There was no reason to suspect that was going to drop off,” said Ben Clarke, guided trip coordinator for the company. “Literally the day before the storm was our single highest-grossing day ever.”

Heavy rain brought business to a halt. The rising water levels from the storm made conditions unsafe for canoeing and kayaking, forcing the company to cancel trips and delay its summer camp. Staff arrived the morning after the storm to find their gear and supplies submerged.

“We were prepping for camp to start the next morning,” said Chandler Holland, summer camp director. “We came in and figured that’s not happening.”

Clarke said nearly everything was underwater including rental gear and personal items used for camp activities.

“I was actually out there just after the very peak of the floods,” Clarke said. “We would be underwater right here where we’re standing.”

The damage extended beyond lost revenue. Camp materials, personal gear, and infrastructure were washed away.

“We’re having to replace everything from scratch,” Holland said. “A lot of which were personal items that were being used at camp, we don’t have those anymore because they’re gone.”

Despite the setback, staff rallied to clean up the site and prepare for campers’ return. Holland said efforts are ongoing to clear debris and set up a temporary location at a nearby boy scout cabin.

“We’re mucking things out and getting things to a point where the campers can be safe here,” Holland said. “We are working to get things set up at the Boy Scout cabin so that they are able to fully use that space.”

The business is working toward a limited reopening, though it won’t resume full operations right away.

“A soft launch means we’re not going to be doing shuttles, we’re not going to be doing a lot of tubing,” Clarke said. “We still have to rebuild our tube takeout, which got totally wiped out by the flood.”

A spokesperson said the company hopes to reopen public access to the Saxapahaw Lake Access by next weekend. Summer camp is scheduled to begin Monday, with all slots filled through mid-August.

Despite the flood’s impact, staff say they are encouraged by the support from the community and determined to rebuild.

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