Abraham Delatorre and his parents, Ole and Elena Delatorre, are among local restaurateurs who have committed to relaunching their businesses in the same spot after experiencing catastrophic flooding during Tropical Storm Helene. But as the owners of two flooded restaurants, the family experienced double the loss.
As Helene approached Western North Carolina in September 2024, the Delatorres believed their Ole’s Guacamoles locations — one at 502 W. State St. in Black Mountain and the other at 90 S. Tunnel Road in Asheville — were prepared for the worst.
Set on high ground at the junction of Swannanoa River Road and Tunnel Road, the Asheville location didn’t have a history of flooding. And though the Black Mountain restaurant — situated on a creek near the Montreat Dam — was prone to nuisance floods, as owners of the building, the Delatorres felt prepared…