Family’s 37-year-old farm and livelihood destroyed by Helene

GROVETOWN, Ga. (WRDW/Gray News) – Those in the path of Hurricane Helene are still reeling from the devastation the storm left behind.

Hundreds of people were killed, roads were washed away, and homes and businesses were destroyed.

Helene destroyed the Double B Plant Farm in Grovetown, Georgia – the plants, offices, parts of the owner’s home and their livelihood.

The Burns family said, like everything else Helene has left behind, the future is very uncertain.

“It took 37 years to get to the point that we’re at, and they won’t be able to do that, and I sure can’t do it by myself,” Double B Plant Farm owner Joe Burns said.

Burns said it’s hard saying goodbye to three generations worth of work and memories.

“I literally have been out here my entire life,” Burns said. “I grew up on this road. I grew up in a trailer right in the middle of the nursery, and we moved into my papa’s home. Now me and my wife live here, and I mean, it’s really in my blood.”

Broken trees and debris not only destroyed their business but also wrecked his family’s homes.

“You walk into one of their dining rooms, and you could see straight out of it,” Burns said. “They had one tree hit the back where their bedroom is. My mom got hurt. It slammed through the roof in their bedroom as she ran. Luckily, she was up and was able to run.”

Burns said Helene has taken more than just 30 decades of business away, it took away his purpose and uprooted his family’s future.

“This is my passion,” Burns said. “I love doing this and I always want to do this. I mean, there’s a difference in hurting your family for your passion and, you know, and doing the right thing.”

Burns said they’re still in the process of selling what’s left and cleaning everything up.

“I don’t want this to be the end, but it’s, it’s the end right now,” Burns said.

Copyright 2024 WRDW via Gray Local Media, Inc. All rights reserved.