North Carolina town destroyed by Hurricane Helene hoping to welcome tourists back by midsummer

The vacation town of Chimney Rock, North Carolina, is unrecognizable after Hurricane Helene left a line of destruction across the southeast back in September, according to the town's mayor, Peter O'Leary.

"It destroyed the village," O'Leary said. "It took away the old Chimney Rock." 

Thousands of visitors visit the mountain town on a typical summer day, but damage left behind by Helene blocked Chimney Rock off to everyone except residents.

"I've got meetings with FEMA inspectors that are here inspecting the damage so they can move forward on some of the FEMA projects," O'Leary said.

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A task force made up of business owners and residents was created to oversee the planning of the new Chimney Rock, the mayor said.

While Helene changed the town forever, O'Leary said the rebuilding process is underway with a goal of welcoming tourists back by midsummer.

Residents like Lidya Gongage said there is a long road left to recovery.

"A few months later and it's still just as bad," she said. "I think it'll be a two-year recovery. And it'll never be the same."

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Contractors are working on getting new running water, sewer services and electrical lines set up throughout the town, while the Department of Transportation is rebuilding area bridges because Helene wiped them all out.

O'Leary said over 2,000 volunteers, including some with heavy machinery, have come into the area to help speed up recovery efforts.

One of those volunteers was Jake Jarvis, owner of Precision Grading, which specializes in building roads and clearing off house sites. 

Jarvis said he is working on a boulder wall for a lot where the home was washed away by the storm.

"Trying to build back the best we can and give people back what they lost. If we can't give them [a] house, [we] can give them a place to build a house," Jarvis said.

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Jarvis said the work being done to rebuild is fueled by donations, which allows them to afford the materials needed.