HORRY COUNTY, SC (WBTW) – Homes and businesses near the Longs community, including a 53-year-old candy factory, are drying out after a week of flooding from Hurricane Florence.
Almost all the water is gone from outside Canipes Candy Factory on South Carolina Highway 9, but the flooding there destroyed thousands of pounds of candy and nearly took one family’s livelihood.
“It’s been brought down through the family since 1965 and we’d like to be able to continue,” said Butch Canipe, co-owner of Canipes Candy Citchen.
Butch Canipe’s father started Canipes Candy Citchen more than 50 years ago.
“We do saltwater taffy that we sell wholesale-wise all up and down the East Coast and the Gulf Coast,” Butch Canipe said.
The family’s business and homes behind the candy factory were surrounded by nearly two feet of flood water after Hurricane Florence.
The factory and warehouse also flooded for a week.
“It’s just a mess, a slimy mess in there,” Canipe said.
When the Canipes finally got in Tuesday, they saw thousands of pounds of raw sugar and chocolate, as well as finished candy, ruined.
“We lost the cookers,” said Canipe. “We haven’t gotten a total of what we lost yet because we’re trying to inventory it now.”
The flood damage also comes before a busy time for the factory.
“We’re just beginning to start getting our orders for Christmas, but we can’t do anything,” Canipe said. “We can’t do any of the chocolates or any of that stuff until we get the building cleaned up.”
Canipe says he’ll have to use winter savings as he tries to replace what was lost.
“We hope we have enough put up, but we’re trying to seek help,” he said.
Canipes will try to sell what’s left of its inventory at its three stores called Wee-R-Sweetz in Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach.
The family also says it’s looking to start a GoFundMe page to help the factory cook for another 53 years.