Nature was quick to undo most of what humans spent over 125 years creating in Chimney Rock.
CHIMNEY ROCK VILLAGE, North Carolina– The tower that gave this place its name took nearly 500 million years to form; heated from within Earth then carved and worn away by wind and water over time.
But in just minutes, nature undid most of what had taken humans an estimated 175 years to create in Chimney Rock, North Carolina mountain town.
Chris Canada was shocked and speechless as his massive twin-prop Chinook helicopter flew overhead and flew right by his adopted hometown, while Iraq War veteran. Chris Canada did not think his deployment had set in yet as they met another Chinook helicopter flying low above his adopted town of Greenfield Park, Colorado. “I still can’t comprehend everything yet!” he stated as another massive two-prop Chinook passed overhead bringing their service members home safely from deployment in Afghanistan and Iraq. “I don’t think the realization has set in yet!” he stated as another giant twin prop Chinook passed overhead bringing in fresh recruits for deployment – Chris Canada is yet adjusting.
Nearly 400 miles after Hurricane Helene made landfall along Florida’s Big Bend on September 26, its effects have all but destroyed a small hamlet of about 140 souls on the banks of Broad River in central Alabama.
Restaurants and gift shops that boasted riverfront balconies dangle precariously. Rutherford County went “wet” when alcohol sales became legal about 10 years ago; soon thereafter the Hickory Nut Brewery collapsed on Wednesday nearly a week after Hurricane Irma hit.
Main Street buildings still standing are covered in several inches of reddish-brown debris; signs posted at Chimney Sweeps souvenir shops indicate their availability during construction projects. A sign proclaims, “We are open during construction; visit us now!”
At another corner of town, houses that survived were left precariously perched atop an unforgiving riverbank – this may explain where one suspected death — an elderly lady who refused all pleas to evacuate — occurred.
“Literally, this river has moved,” village administrator Stephen Duncan observed as he drove an Associated Press reporter through Chimney Rock Village’s dust-choked wreckage on Wednesday afternoon. “This event marks one thousand years in our geologic timescale.”
Monster Wall of Water: About eight hours after Helene made landfall in Florida, Chimney Rock volunteer firefighter John Payne noticed water spilling onto US 64/74 near 7 am when responding to possible gas leakage issues in town.
“The actual hurricane hadn’t made landfall yet,” he observed.
Payne, 32 and a lifelong resident of this valley, quickly declined the call before racing back uphill toward his fire station which has since been relocated due to flooding damage suffered during an earlier flood event a decade earlier – only for former chief Joseph “Buck” Meliski from that prior flood to dismiss him with derision and dismiss.
Payne remembers an elderly individual saying it couldn’t happen so early.
But when Payne showed him the video footage he’d just shot – showing water covering the bridge leading into Hickory Nut Falls Family Campground – his jaw dropped in amazement.
Meliski told Payne and other attendees gathered there, that it would be difficult for all involved to escape this conflict. “Let’s face it boys,” Meliski stated bluntly.
At once, they felt the ground beneath them rumbling violently like one of those earthquakes which regularly rocked their valley. Muddy water began seeping under the back wall of their firehouse.
Payne looked down and saw what appeared to be a 30-foot-tall wall of water hurling car-sized boulders as it raced toward his town, seemingly devouring and disgorging houses as quickly as they arrived on shore.
Payne noted, “it wasn’t actually water at that point – it was actually thick concrete-like material which took anything in its path, whatever form that may take. Whatever hit it took it on.”
Payne had just spent 20 minutes filming from a bridge that collapsed unexpectedly after it collided with a house nearby, only for its steel beams to quickly bend in horseshoe shapes around boulders, according to Payne’s later investigation.
At the firehouse, some business owners in Payne’s group began “wailing hysterically.” Others just stood still and looked on in silence, waiting.
Payne noted that volunteers had lost communications during the storm; when winds eventually subsided at 11 am, Payne noted, the radios began receiving multiple calls again and became “bustling with activity.”
Chimney Rock Village crumbled away into Lake Lure, which served as an unwitting stand-in for Catskills resorts in Patrick Swayze’s 1987 summer romance film – “Dirty Dancing”.
Tracy Stevens, 55, an employee at both Hickory Nut and Lake Lure Inn sought shelter at Lake Lure Inn where she also works. There she witnessed debris pour into the marina from Chimney Rock and beyond – discarding boats like they were toys while lifting metal sections of Town Center Walkway like folds of paper maps into place.
“It looked like someone flushed their toilet,” she explained, noting how she saw cars driving along streets with buildings peeking from beneath, houses topping out, top floors of homes rising and falling away as the whole place swirled together into one gigantic mass. It was quite terrifying!
Some debris gathered and became lodged between two bridges that connected these towns: Memorial Highway’s utilitarian concrete span across Broad River and Flowering Bridge’s elegant three-arched span known as Flowering Bridge.
After 85 years carrying traffic into Chimney Rock, the 1925 viaduct has been transformed into an idyllic botanical walkway filled with more than 2,000 different species of plants. Now partially collapsed, its remains lie concealed by vines, roots and tree branches entwined around them.
Signs of hope amid destruction: Canada, 43, co-owner of a stage rental and event production company was at a Charlotte music festival when Hurricane Irma hit. Witnessing uniformed troops bringing armored personnel carriers raking through streets brought back memories from his three combat tours in Iraq and Syria.
“I experienced all sides of war and endured multiple hurricanes,” noted Canada, an Army airborne veteran. “Never have I witnessed something quite so extraordinary. “
Canada and Barbie moved here with their two daughters from South Carolina in October 2021 in part to escape hurricanes; Barbie had vacationed here as a child; plus it was near a Veterans Administration hospital nearby.
Chris Canada was walking along the Broad on Wednesday when he noticed himself sniffing for signs of death in the air.
And yet there are signs of hope all around us.
Payne — who climbs his beloved rock each September 11 to commemorate those lost during the Twin Tower attacks — was delighted to see members of New York City Fire Department helping with door-to-door searches in his town.
“We’re more hardheaded than these rocks are,” noted Payne, who works full time as the site coordinator of a fast food chain. “So it will take more than this for us to leave or be scared off, although don’t count us out just yet! Don’t underestimate us!”
Outside Mountain Traders’ shop in Colorado Springs, someone has placed a large wooden Sasquatch cutout against an utility pole with the words “Chimney Rock Strong” painted across his chest in vivid blue paint.
On Monday when park employees scaled the mountaintop and raised an American flag, Duncan says those below cheered enthusiastically while some shed tears of emotion.
“It was absolutely spectacular!” exclaimed his audience member.
Chimney Rock Village Mayor Peter O’Leary believes his small community’s spirit will help it recover: flags are currently flying at half staff as an indicator, yet Mayor O’Leary remains confident it’s this same spirit that will help restore Chimney Rock Village to glory.
At its roots lies hospitality and entrepreneurialism – dating back to the late 1800s when one family started charging visitors 25 cents for horseback rides up Mount Mitchell, according to brief online history by village resident R. J. Wald. It quickly grew into one of North Carolina’s first official tourist spots.
O’Leary first arrived in town to assume his post as park manager before it became part of the state park system. Two years later, with his wife by his side, Bubba O’Leary opened Bubba O’Leary’s General Store; named for their yellow Labrador retriever named after them both.
“Most of these people here come from somewhere else,” he observed as he stood outside the firehouse overlooking Hickory Nut Falls’ waters gushing forth from above the ridgeline. “Why’d they come? Ultimately they fell in love with it – something about Hickory Nut Falls has got hold of people! […] “Why’d they stay?” they may well ask:… They got hooked by it all right.” he explained further, noting how Hickory Nut Falls has its grip upon people as soon as they arrived… It gets hold of people quickly enough…. It pulls people in.”
“I was completely caught off-guard.”
Although part of the general store built in 1927 has collapsed, O’Leary believes its larger addition built in 2009 can still be salvaged. Duncan who helped draft the village charter back in 1990 views this as an opportunity to “take advantage of new geography” and build an improved town.
However, for others like innkeeper and restaurateur Nick Sottile, 35, seeing their future can be hard.
Sottile and his wife Kristen were vacationing on Turks and Caicos Islands at the time of Hurricane Helene – their first vacation since opening Broad River Inn and Stagecoach Pizza Kitchen on what may be one of its oldest buildings, in October 20/20.
Photos taken from the street looked quite intact; but when Sottile returned home and explored along the river side, his heart broke open in fear.
“There’s a portion of the back wall missing,” noted South Florida native Kelly Scott on Friday. “It is no longer safe to go in there now.”
All that remains of Chimney Rock Adventure miniature golf course near its entrance is its sign.
“Rebuilding would be impossible because there is no land,” Sottile declared.
Sottile has heard horror stories from fellow business owners regarding denied insurance claims. Unfortunately, without help he says there’s no money available for rebuilding efforts.
Now, he is volunteering with his local fire department and trying not to think too far ahead.
“This town is not small – this is HOME!” He noted: “Everyone helps each other here; I know we will get through this and rebuild – my prayer is that WE all get the chance to witness that happening together.”