In total, 15 businesses were completely obliterated, and another 26 were left with significant damage, according to O’Leary. On the southern part of the town, 15 homes were entirely destroyed, while 14 others sustained damage. Five bridges, including one meant for pedestrians, were ruined. Three miles of Main Street, which is also US Highway 64/74, were thoroughly devastated.
This extensive destruction occurred in a small community with only 140 residents and no traffic signals.
“Returning to a regular routine is a challenge that many of us often don’t fully appreciate,” O’Leary noted. “Essential services like power, water, sewage, and road access have all experienced severe damage.”
An NBC News crew visited Chimney Rock one week after the floods and spoke with O’Leary as he worked to restore essential services, battling physical obstacles and bureaucratic red tape while still grappling with shock. I spent two days shadowing Stephen Duncan, the village administrator and a storm survivor.
“It felt like a massive wall of water,” said Barbara Melisky, a survivor and the head of the village planning commission, recalling the floods.
With a tense expression, she recounted how water levels surged even after Chimney Rock had already been inundated by the extreme storm.
“It felt as if it was capturing the raindrops,” she remarked. “It was a thick deluge.”
Teresa Cauthern, owner of Chimney Rock Inn, shared a video she recorded right before fleeing, which showed the river ripping the deck off her establishment.
“After I recorded that, I quickly left,” she said. “I grabbed a few items and my cat before heading out.”
As of Wednesday, North Carolina reported 96 “confirmed storm-related fatalities” due to Hurricane Helene, as per the state’s official site.
So far, the village of Chimney Rock has recorded only one death—a senior woman who chose to stay in her home on the town’s south side, according to local authorities.
O’Leary mentioned that he was on vacation when the storm struck, and upon his return to Chimney Rock, he found himself without a home, as he lived directly across from the store.
He set up camp on Duncan’s property a few miles away and established a “mobile command center” in Duncan’s RV.
When the NBC News team arrived, Duncan expressed his disappointment with FEMA’s response.
“FEMA may have a website,” Duncan stated, “but that doesn’t help us. We can’t access it online.”
Later during a conference call with an engineering firm, Duncan further criticized the government’s bureaucratic processes.
“To be frank,” he said. “What frustrates me most is that while the Federal Emergency Management Agency is meant to assist us, we have to navigate through so many unnecessary barriers to receive their aid.”
