Tropical Storm Chantal leaves a trail of destruction, forcing Camp RiverQuest to cancel due to flood damage.
SAXAPAHAW, N.C. — Even days after Tropical Chantal rolled through Alamance County, signs of its power remain — especially along the Haw River. Trees, limbs, and debris still clog the bridges in Saxapahaw, a stark reminder of the storm’s impact.
Among the hardest hit was Haw River Canoe & Kayak Co., which found much of its property underwater, including the dock and their beloved summer program, Camp RiverQuest.
“It’s definitely better than it was,” said Camp Director Chandler Holland. “But there was a huge mud deposit that happened at the dock here.”
Pointing to the nearby boat shed, Holland added:
“That’s our boat shed right there. You see the leaves on the door — it went up to there.”
The floodwaters didn’t just damage buildings — they swept away much of what made Camp RiverQuest possible.
“Unfortunately, 98% of the camp stuff was in our building, and it’s not salvageable,” Holland said.
For many local children, that meant the heartbreaking realization that camp — a summer highlight — was suddenly canceled.
“My mom sat me down at the dining room table and told me — there definitely isn’t going to be any camp this morning," said camper Francis Demayo.
“After my nanna told me what happened, I was like, ‘whoa.’ I hope everyone is okay," proclaimed Kallyn Newcomb.
“I saw how high the water was. It was like over-the-bridge high,” said Mattias Heindel.
While Week 3 of camp had to be postponed, staff quickly found ways to reschedule all affected campers. Holland says the community support has been overwhelming.
“We had 12 campers scheduled for week three, and if I remember correctly, all 12 of them have been rescheduled for other weeks — which is amazing. That means we’re able to keep that funding for everything else we have to do," said
Despite the challenges, spirits remain high among the young campers.
“I was really happy to start, but I’m also sort of sad for them because their livelihood is devastated," said Aster Demayo.
While it’s not quite business as usual in Saxapahaw, the campers and counselors are determined to keep the summer spirit alive — one paddle stroke at a time.