Though Hurricane Helene ran rampant through Chimney Rock, North Carolina, locals are seeing a positive shift in their precious mountain village, WCNC reported.
What's happening?
When the September storm hit Western North Carolina, infrastructure in towns such as Chimney Rock was pummeled, with homes and businesses alike in utter disrepair.
The hurricane displaced more than 375,000 people, and small villages struggled with long-term effects.
Rebuilding efforts in Chimney Rock have been gradual but meaningful. While construction crews first had to wipe away the ruins and start anew, community members have done their best to integrate old pieces of the village into the new one.
"Crews have installed temporary bridges, poured new foundations, and even repurposed materials from destroyed buildings to preserve the town's rustic charm," according to WCNC.
Old railings have been used in new buildings, and stones from the rubble have been used to build fresh facilities.
"Every stone in this building has someone's name tied to it," nonprofit Spokes of Hope founder Shane Zoccole told WCNC.
While it's a long way from being what it once was, the path forward is laid out and promising.
Why is rebuilding important?
The village's near-desolate state resulted from the country's deadliest mainland hurricane since 2005 — Hurricane Katrina. While natural disasters have always occurred, their intensity and regularity have increased as the climate changes due to human activity.
Rising ocean temperatures and abnormal weather patterns are a byproduct of human impact, endangering communities and ecosystems. Extreme weather events, including hurricanes — made more severe by a warming climate — cause extensive damage to homes and businesses and increase insurance premiums. They can also devastate entire towns, injuring and killing people in their path.
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Move somewhere else 🌎 What's being done about Chimney Rock?
"We've had the whole town completely closed for six months now," Chimney Rock Mayor Peter O'Leary told WCNC.
New sewer and water systems are being installed, and the North Carolina Department of Transportation and other agencies are ahead of schedule, bringing the village back to its livable, beautiful state.
"Our future — while it's still a work in progress — is much, much brighter than it could have been," O'Leary said, per WCNC.
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