GREENSBORO, N.C. (WFMY) – Right along the quiet North Buffalo Creek, the lively Revolution Mill houses some of Greensboro’s newest dining and lifestyle destinations.
The campus, an old textile mill that’s now filled with apartments, restaurants, offices and even a wedding venue, is located on a 100-year-flood zone, meaning there’s a 1% probability the place could flood.
It doesn’t sound bad, but anytime it rains heavily in the area, the creek rises.
Add a hurricane into the mix, and folks at the Revolution Mill aren’t taking any chances.
“We have a great plan, we have a great team, a great staff, so we’re prepared in that aspect so whatever happens we’re going to react to it the best we can,” said Karen Little, assistant property manager at Revolution Mill.
Part of that plan includes 27 sets of flood panels across the facility in case Buffalo Creek reaches a certain level.
Some of them are already installed, like the ones on the Deck Bar of The Kitchen + Market at Revolution Mill, while others are attached to the walls waiting for a response team to be activated to them into place to keep water from creeping in.
“In like 45 minutes they would be here with like 12 people and they’ll help put them all in,” said Don Elliot, a utility worker for Revolution Mill.
“Whenever there’s a lot of rain out here we’re on alert,” Little mentioned. “It’s just part of the job.”
Michael Hatzisaddeis lives in one of the lofts at the Mill. He was walking his dog, Nova, while Don and his colleagues were paneling up the Deck Bar.
“I’m curious to see if my apartment is going to flood,” he said. “Just need to know if these flood panels are really going to prevent the water from coming over.”
Luckily, Hatzisaddeis says, he has less to lose than most of his neighbors.
“I’m a poor college student so everything I have can be replaced except for the dog and my computer.”
As Florence’s trajectory keeps changing, Little says the Revolution Mill staff will be making sure they keep their residents and businesses in the loop.
“With the weather changing as much as it has, we’re having to adapt to those changes too.”
Not as concerned are the folks over at Cugino Forno Pizzeria.
According to one of the owners, Joseph Ozbey, the business will remain open through the storm, unless life-threatening circumstances come their way.
"We will be open because our ovens have nothing to do with the electric, so just wood and fire -- we can still make pizza," Ozbey said.
► Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the WFMY News 2 App: Apple Users, Android Users