FOX Weather Correspondent Brandy Campbell reports from Chimney Rock a month after Hurricane Helene flooded western North Carolina. She spoke to City Serve Spearhead Shane Zoccole and business owners working hard to rebuild.
CHIMNEY ROCK, N.C. – As businesses, homeowners and volunteers continue to remove muck and debris left behind from Helene’s historic flooding in Chimney Rock, North Carolina, new satellite images reveal how the flooding reshaped the community southeast of Asheville.
Chimney Rock saw incredible devastation after Hurricane Helene dropped between 1 and 2 feet of rain or more. The Broad River along the community’s Main Street surged, destroying any roads, trees and structures in the path of the swollen river.
NOAA satellite images taken on Oct. 2 show the destructive path of the flooding along Main Street and the wide path carved out by the Broad River. In February, Main Street was surrounded by green trees, which separated the road from the river.
Before and after Helene flooding in Chimney Rock, North Carolina along Main Street and the Broad River.
(FOX Weather)
The devastation is apparent from the ground, but from above, it’s clear that the flooding carved a path around which communities must rebuild.
Chimney Rock Mayor Peter O’Leary told FOX Weather the community is working to rebuild. One month after the flooding, work was underway to clear out the muck and start fresh.
FOX Weather Correspondent Brandy Campbell was in Chimney Rock on Wednesday, where City Serve had dozens of volunteers gutting buildings.
HELENE RUINS FALL LEAF-PEEPING SEASON FOR MOST OF WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA
Shane Zoccole of City Serve said the initial restoration starts with clearing the mud and then treating for mold before rebuilding.
“We see the resiliency of a town when we come to it, and if they’re fighters, we’ll fight with them,” Zoccole said. “We stay as long as we’re needed. We stay almost until we can enjoy driving through the town when it’s back.”
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This aerial view shows destruction in Chimney Rock, North Carolina, on October 7, 2024 after the passage of Hurricane Helene. More than 230 people are now confirmed dead after Hurricane Helene carved a path of destruction through several US states, officials said, making it the second deadliest storm to hit the US mainland in more than half a century. (Photo by ALLISON JOYCE/AFP via Getty Images) ( )
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NOAA satellite imagery shows Chimney Rock’s Main Street after flooding from Hurricane Helene in October 2024. ( )
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Destroyed homes are seen in Chimney Rock, North Carolina, October 2, 2024, after the passage of Hurricane Helene. (ALLISON JOYCE/AFP)
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CHIMNEY ROCK, NORTH CAROLINA – OCTOBER 2: A damaged property stands in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene on October 2, 2024 in Chimney Rock, North Carolina. The death toll has topped 140 people across the southeastern U.S. due to the storm, according to published reports, which made landfall as a category 4 storm on Thursday. Millions are without power and the federal government has declared major disasters in areas of North Carolina, Florida, South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, Virginia and Alabama, freeing up federal emergency management money and resources for those states, according to the reports. (Photo by Sean Rayford/Getty Images) ( )
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A helicopter flies above a damaged structure in downtown Chimney Rock, North Carolina, October 2, 2024, after the passage of Hurricane Helene. The death toll from powerful storm Helene, which battered the southeastern United States, has climbed to more than 155, authorities said on October 1, as President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris surveyed the damage. (Photo by Allison Joyce / AFP) (Photo by ALLISON JOYCE/AFP via Getty Images) ( )
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Crews work downtown Chimney Rock, North Carolina, October 2, 2024, after the passage of Hurricane Helene. The death toll from powerful storm Helene, which battered the southeastern United States, has climbed to at least 155, authorities said on October 1, as President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris prepared to survey the damage. (Photo by ALLISON JOYCE/AFP via Getty Images)
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Damage along Lake Lure Highway near Chimney Rock, North Carolina on Sept. 28, 2024. (Courtesy Catt and Mike)
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Chimney Rock, North Carolina was one of the many places ravaged by Hurricane Helene. After raging floodwaters gushed through the city, the village is left reeling with what is left. (Charlotte City Councilman Tariq Bokhari /TMX)
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Damage along Lake Lure Highway near Chimney Rock, North Carolina on Sept. 28, 2024. (Courtesy Catt and Mike)
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Hurricane Helene has brought days of rain to western North Carolina, which has caused complete devastation in areas like Chimney Rock. (Banff Luther via Storyful)
April Schick, owner of April’s Boutique in Chimney Rock, said a month into the recovery, the community is realizing it is going to take a long time to come back from this storm.
“Just gotta put one foot in front of the other,” Schick said. “It really just hit me a couple of days ago, that I don’t have a business anymore … so the morale, it’s a tough one.”
Many communities of western North Carolina do not have a restoration timeline because of the extensive damage to roads, bridges, and essential infrastructure.
The North Carolina Department of Transportation identified more than 7,300 sites where roads and bridges were damaged by Helene. Since the storm passed, DOT crews have successfully reopened 760 roads in western North Carolina.
“Damage estimates from what we have been able to assess to this point are up to several billion dollars, and we’re not done,” North Carolina Transportation Secretary Joey Hopkins said. “The damage to our roads and bridges is like nothing we’ve ever seen after any storm, and this will be a long-term recovery operation. But we will be here until Western North Carolina can get back on its feet.”