It’s been seven months since Tropical Storm Chantal tore through the Triangle, displacing families from their homes and forcing many businesses to close.
While some businesses have reopened, many still face a long road to recovery.
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Two inches separated a beloved photo from the floodwater that rose inside Kipos Greek Taverna just seven months ago.
At the center of that photo is the woman who made the restaurant possible.
“She loved all of us, but being the baby, I always said she loved me more," Owner Giorgios Bakatsias said.
Giorgios Bakatsias said his mother gave him the strength to rebuild after Chantal left no part of the restaurant untouched.
“We didn't expect that kind of flood. It was very rare for us to see and you know, the day it happened, it was a Sunday that all our staff was here. We had reservations. We had people," he said.
On Saturday, Kipos will welcome customers back.
Bakatsias acknowledges he was one of the fortunate ones, able to cover the high cost of recovery himself.
"It's basically it's been out of out of pocket up to this point," he said.
Just doors down, other businesses remain boarded up.
Some owners told WRAL News they were waiting for financial assistance that never came through.
When asked what is being done to support those impacted by Chantal, the Governor’s office said in a statement that the state provided $4.7 million in individual assistance.
However, when asked specifically about support for businesses, a spokesperson responded:
“There are no existing state programs that the General Assembly has authorized for business owners.”
The SBA's Economic Injury Disaster Loan program is still available, but for some business owners, taking on additional debt is not feasible.
For now, some storefronts remain shuttered, serving as a chilling reminder of the storm few expected.