Drone video shows Chimney Rock destroyed by massive flood, U.S.
Hurricane “Helene” wreaked havoc in Chimney Rock, North Carolina, from September 25 to 27, 2024, dumping approximately 360 mm (14 inches) of rain and causing severe flooding. During this period, the Broad River overflowed, destroying the community of around 125 people.
The event occurred between September 25 and 27 when Hurricane “Helene” made landfall and began to devastate areas from Florida to western North Carolina, including Chimney Rock, a small village tucked in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
According to the National Weather Service (NWS), the region around Asheville, North Carolina, approximately 30 km (18 miles) from Chimney Rock, received a total of 360 mm (14 inches) of rain during this period, causing the Broad River to flood and inundate the city on the morning of September 27, prompting the deployment of emergency teams to aid residents.
“Our little community of about 125 people… every single business has been either destroyed or severely damaged. Many of them are damaged to the point where they’ll have to be completely rebuilt,” O’Leary said. “It’s devastating. The whole community of Chimney Rock is changed forever,” said Mayor Peter O’Leary.
According to Rutherford County Emergency Management, over 100 people were rescued from Chimney Rock. Pamlico County staff in Chimney Rock has successfully rescued four individuals and evacuated 106 people, including two dogs and two cats.
There has been massive destruction of infrastructure with the pavement and roadway of U.S. 64 washed away in front of the Village of Chimney Rock Public Parking lot and the Burntshirt Vineyards Tasting Room and Bistro, which are located on a hilltop.
“At Chimney Rock Park entrance, the river’s about 91 m (300 feet) wide,” said Shields, working in Chimney Rock. “There’s no road—it’s gone, all the houses from there up, gone. The Flower Bridge, gone.”
An aerial view showed the entrance to the historic mountain town completely devastated.
As of the latest reports, the death toll in North Carolina due to Hurricane “Helene” is more than 77 with hundreds still missing.
The total national death toll across several southeastern states, including North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, and Virginia, has surpassed 167 and is expected to rise as rescue operations continue and more information becomes available.
Helene formed on September 26, 2024, in the Gulf of Mexico, quickly intensifying into a hurricane. On September 26 at 23:10 Local Time (LT), it made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend region, unleashing winds of 225 km/h (140 mph) and storm surges that damaged coastal villages.
References:
1 Chimney Rock “Starting From Zero” After Town Swept Into Nearby Lake Lure By Hurricane Helene – Southern Living – September 30, 2024
2 ‘You want to cry:’ Hurricane Helene leaves Chimney Rock, Lake Lure heavily damaged – ABC 4 News – October 1, 2024
3 Helene’s flooding flattens Chimney Rock, NC: ‘Everything along the river is gone’ – USA Today Network – October 1, 2024
Thumbnail image credit: Google, TW
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