Community Spirit Shines in Chimney Rock Village After Hurricane Helene

CHIMNEY ROCK VILLAGE, N.C. – The small mountain town of Chimney Rock Village, home to about 140 residents, faces a long road to recovery after Hurricane Helene’s devastating impact on September 26, 2024.

Nearly 400 miles from where Helene made landfall in Florida, this North Carolina hamlet experienced catastrophic flooding when a massive wall of water, estimated at 30 feet high by local firefighter John Payne, tore through the valley.

The destruction is extensive. Many buildings along Main Street have been severely damaged or destroyed. The Hickory Nut Brewery collapsed almost a week after the storm. Homes that weren’t swept away now teeter precariously on eroded riverbanks.

Despite the devastation, signs of resilience are emerging. Mayor Peter O’Leary, who has lived in the area since 1990, believes in the town’s ability to rebuild. “Most of these people here, if you look around, almost all of them are from somewhere else,” O’Leary said. “Why’d they come here? They came here and fell in love with it. It gets ahold of you.”

The community’s spirit is evident in small gestures, like the “Chimney Rock Strong” sign painted on a wooden Sasquatch cutout outside a local shop. When park employees raised the American flag atop Chimney Rock on Monday, residents cheered and some wept.

While the path forward remains uncertain, especially for business owners facing insurance challenges, many residents express determination to rebuild. As firefighter John Payne put it, “We’re more hard-headed than these rocks are. So, it’s going to take more than this to scare us off and run us out. It’ll be a while, but we’ll be back. Don’t count us out.”

The recovery process willtake years, but the resilience and community spirit of Chimney Rock Village’s residents suggest they’re ready for the challenge ahead.