CANTON, N.C. — It's been a little more than six months since the remnants of Tropical Strom Fred tore through western North Carolina, causing deadly flooding in its wake. 

What You Need To Know 

Canton is still cleaning up after Tropical Storm Fred 

Zeb Smathers has been Canton's mayor since 2017 

Smathers says some facilities will have to be relocated

Canton Mayor Zeb Smathers saw the storm's destruction stretch for miles and miles. 

He has been mayor since 2017, and he practices law with his father, who was also a mayor. Canton is a town he, his wife and their 22-month-old child call home, and when water came rushing in, it was his neighbors and family who were affected.

"Park Street was our Town Hall, fire department, police department, our colonial theater and museum. All of the town facilities were destroyed," Smathers said.

He believes they will be relocating those facilities. Other places, he says, have been able to return.

"Our brewery was shut down, it is back open. American Cleaners, they were hit in '04, they just opened," Smathers said.

Smathers says it is a reminder of that scary day when homes were moved off their foundation. Smathers was standing nearby as water surrounded and had to jump in to get people out.

"I heard stories of people getting people out of trees, out of cars," Smathers said.

The river caused major damage to their football field and their town pool. He expects to open the pool back up this summer. Their playground had to be torn out, but they will be replacing it with an all-abilities playground with equipment for children with special needs. 

"It's a testament to what we stand for," Smathers said.

He says it is a reminder that they are working hard to rebuild.