Iconic Chimney Rock Businesses Anticipate a Thriving Summer Post-Helene

CHIMNEY ROCK, N.C.—“Chimney Rock has disappeared.”

This was the statement of a frustrated resident captured in video footage shortly after Hurricane Helene devastated western North Carolina on September 27, 2024.

With overwhelming power, torrents of water mixed with debris surged down Main Street, impacting this mountain village along the Rocky Broad River.

Peter O’Leary recollects the destruction witnessed in the aftermath of the calamity. He serves as the mayor of Chimney Rock and runs Bubba O’Leary’s General Store on Main Street alongside his wife.

“Most of the individuals here, if you take a look around, nearly all of them are from somewhere else. They came here and fell in love with it. It captures your heart,” he shared with The Epoch Times earlier this month.

“Everything you typically take for granted has been washed away, quite literally. But we will rebound. We will rise again, and new memories will be forged here.

“There will be brighter days. We have much work ahead of us, but there is hope. One cannot overcome a challenge of this magnitude without hope.”

Helene made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend as a Category 4 hurricane on September 26 and reached western North Carolina the following day, causing widespread destruction throughout the Southeast down to eastern Tennessee.

The flooding in western North Carolina set new records that had stood for over a century. The French Broad River in Asheville reached a peak of 24.67 feet, surpassing the prior record of 23.1 feet from July 1916.

Just before Helene’s arrival, storms had already drenched Asheville and surrounding areas.

In Chimney Rock and Lake Lure, torrents of water surged down the river, wiping out many structures along Main Street in Chimney Rock and putting significant stress on the dam holding back Lake Lure.

Located about 25 miles southeast of Asheville, Chimney Rock is home to Chimney Rock State Park, one of the earliest tourist attractions in North Carolina.

Lake Lure is a historic town where outdoor lovers flock to the namesake lake and stay in cabins, cottages, and the Lake Lure Inn. A significant portion of the 1987 film “Dirty Dancing” was filmed there.

The two communities lie within walking distance of each other, connected by a bridge over the Broad River amid the Rutherford County mountains.

The iconic 315-foot tall Chimney Rock stands at the summit of the state park, adorned with an American flag fluttering in the mountain breeze.

Buildings Swept Away

As floodwaters inundated the area, they carried away buildings and their contents, crashing everything into a concrete bridge linking Chimney Rock and Lake Lure.

The bridge leading to Chimney Rock State Park was swept away, along with most private bridges connecting roads and residences.

At Lake Lure, floodwaters moved the marina docks and the boats moored there, leaving them on top of debris piles in the lake, along with many remnants from Chimney Rock.

Along the Rocky Broad River, the backs of restaurants and gift shops with riverfront balconies are gone. Multiple buildings on Main Street were torn from their foundations and others were displaced by the floodwaters.

Faith-Based Volunteers Provide Hope

O’Leary is optimistic that the village will flourish again this year, thanks to assistance from private organizations, predominantly faith-based nonprofits.

Spokes of Hope is a disaster response Christian nonprofit organization based in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, established in 2018 after Hurricane Florence impacted the region.

Three days post-Helene, members of Spokes of Hope arrived in western North Carolina, making their way to Chimney Rock, where they are still active.

“Upon my arrival, I stood at the top of the street and gazed down at all the destruction,” stated Shane Zoccole, founder of Spokes of Hope, to The Epoch Times.

“I questioned my purpose. I questioned God; I thought the damage was insurmountable. The silt and sand blanketed the roads to about three feet high. It was daunting.”

Volunteer spirits were lifted when 640 soldiers from the 101st Airborne arrived, according to Zoccole.

“We all worked on clearing the mud, which was two feet deep in buildings. Now, the interiors have walls and floors again. They are nearing readiness to re-open. What once felt overwhelming is now inspiring. This town will recover. Hope is not lost here,” Zoccole affirmed.

Southwestern Ohio Response to Disaster (SWORD), part of Nazarene Missions International, is also assisting recovery efforts in western North Carolina and the flood-affected areas in Kentucky. Ed Dyer, the director of the organization, expressed: “We believe we provide more than just labor. We provide hope and restoration, not merely for buildings but for lives. We are dedicated to connecting with people and demonstrating Christ’s love. We’ve observed numerous faith-based nonprofits aiding throughout western North Carolina, and this is uplifting,” Dyer shared with The Epoch Times.

Preparing for Summer Tourists

Merchants rely on the influx of tourists visiting Chimney Rock, where they shop and dine, O’Leary emphasized.

Approximately 400,000 visitors flock to Chimney Rock State Park each year, he noted.

“Everything along the river from here to Lake Lure was destroyed or severely damaged,” O’Leary said, standing outside his general store. An adjoining building where outfitting equipment and supplies were sold is now barren.

“Seven businesses here are completely gone. In total, we had 46 businesses in town. We lost 15, meaning 30 percent of our businesses have vanished,” O’Leary explained, noting that several homes and private bridges were also destroyed.

O’Leary mentioned that the village is aiming to re-open some businesses by Memorial Day, coinciding with the state’s plan to re-open Chimney Rock State Park.

“We simply cannot afford to remain closed. We are all small business owners; none of us can weather a summer without income,” he stated.

Engineers from the North Carolina Department of Transportation are currently working to restore access to Chimney Rock State Park.

The engineers are considering options for temporary structures to connect U.S. 64/74A and Chimney Rock State Park Road ahead of the park’s re-opening, which would serve as a crucial economic boost.

A Rich Tourist History

Many families in Chimney Rock have deep roots in the community, according to O’Leary.

In the late 1800s, a family began charging a quarter to visitors for horseback rides up the mountain. Chimney Rock became one of North Carolina’s earliest tourist attractions when Dr. Lucius B. Morse purchased 64 acres of Chimney Rock Mountain with his brothers in 1902.

Morse was a physician in Missouri before his tuberculosis diagnosis led him to seek a healthier and less congested environment for recovery, prompting his relocation to western North Carolina.

His vision included a resort and a lake, and over the next two decades, Chimney Rock Mountain, Inc. acquired thousands of surrounding acres.

They constructed a hydroelectric dam on the Rocky Broad River, forming Lake Lure. The incorporation of Lake Lure as a town occurred in 1927.

Lake Lure encompasses 720 acres with nearly 27 miles of shoreline, along with a seven-acre island. The Lake Lure Inn, built in 1927, has welcomed dignitaries such as President Franklin D. Roosevelt, President Calvin Coolidge, and author F. Scott Fitzgerald. Actors Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey stayed at the inn during the filming of “Dirty Dancing.”

According to Ken Floyd, general manager of the Lake Lure Inn, the historic lodge—which includes the main inn, a motel, and three cabins—sustained minimal damage from the disaster.

However, any business linked to the fall leaf season that attracts thousands of tourists faced impacts from the hurricane, he remarked.

The Lake Lure Inn has provided accommodations for contractors, government workers, volunteers from various organizations, and guests displaced by Helene funded by FEMA.

When the storm hit, the inn was hosting a wedding. The guests remained, and the wedding proceeded with limited staff because “everyone was already there and they couldn’t leave,” Floyd recounted.

Prior to Helene, the Lake Lure Inn drew visitors attracted to the lake and Chimney Rock. The recovery of Chimney Rock is crucial for the future prosperity of the inn, Floyd noted.

From Cleanup to Construction

The recovery process in Chimney Rock has transitioned from cleanup to construction. Volunteers have been engaged in carpentry in the restaurants and shops along Main Street from sunrise to sunset, accompanied by the sound of heavy machinery working along the river and roads.

“We felt joy when the cleanup phase shifted to a construction site,” Zoccole remarked. “Everything you see here is free—the materials, the labor, the volunteers. We’ve had volunteers from 42 states, which is a beautiful sight to behold.”

O’Leary watched videos and news reports shortly after Helene’s devastation, depicting Chimney Rock as “wiped off the map.”

He expressed hope that many videos and news outlets will cover the region’s resurgence.

“We must demonstrate to everyone that Chimney Rock has returned,” O’Leary said. “We want people to see that we have triumphed over destruction and that we are in the process of rebuilding and we’re still here.”