| In October 2016, Hurricane Matthew flooded the two-block business district on Main Street with four feet of water. And again, floodwaters rose a few inches higher during Hurricane Florence.
The twin calamities crushed souls in a small town already being eroded by economic, demographic, and technological trends that are causing a slow motion disaster in rural America. Home to nearly 1,200 people two decades ago and some 900 people before the storms, Fair Bluff now has about 600 residents, according to Al Leonard, the part-time town manager.
The town lacks the financial reserves and economic footing to rebuild on its own. Its tax base is shrinking. Its aging sewer system, overwhelmed by underground infiltration, was such a financial drain that the town bank account was overdrawn at one point. Median household income is $27,898. Numerous residents who were asked to reflect on changes since the storms called Fair Bluff a “dead town.” There’s no bank. No hardware store. Few places for commerce. | 