Helene flooding reshaped Chimney Rock's Main Street, satellite imagery shows

The cleanup and rebuilding efforts continue one month after Hurricane Helene brought historic rainfall to western North Carolina causing devastation cross communities including Chimney Rock's Main Street businesses and homes.

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. 

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.

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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."

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."

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