The small town of Chimney Rock, North Carolina, is facing total devastation after Hurricane Helene left many people homeless and destroyed riverfront homes and downtown businesses, Mayor Peter O’Leary told CNN.
Some families have yet to reach out to their loved ones because cell service in the area remains nonexistent, the mayor told CNN’s Laura Coates.
Emergency crews are relying on radio communications, and the mayor said he was forced to stay 10 to 15 miles outside of town so he could contact residents in the morning and evening before returning to the town.
The town center is “100 percent destroyed,” he added, including the general store owned by O’Leary. And while some homes were spared, those near the river were devastated, sending piles of debris into nearby Lake Lure.
Asked what he would say to President Joe Biden, who is visiting the state Wednesday, the mayor said Chimney Rock needs a “financial commitment to rebuild.”
“There is a strong desire to rebuild the city, to rebuild the region. Chimney Rock is an iconic historic site in western North Carolina,” O’Leary said.
The reality of a prolonged recovery is still sinking in for Chimney Rock residents, he added.
“This is still very new for everybody. Of course, we want to rebuild. We all want to rebuild. But we have monumental challenges ahead of us,” he said.
Amidst the devastation, the solidarity and resilience of Chimney Rock residents is being tested as they face the enormous task of rebuilding. The road to recovery is arduous, but the community’s determination and unity appear to be the solid foundation on which the future of this iconic North Carolina village will be built.