Chimney Rock, a popular tourist destination in Western North Carolina, was cut off for months after floodwaters from the Rocky Broad River tore through the heart of the town on Sept. 27, 2024.
"It looks like an ocean coming through there," Shelly Banz-McCormack, a lifelong resident, recalling the day Helene struck. "I never thought I would see anything like this in my lifetime."
Her family owns The Riverwatch Waterfront Bar and Grill, along with three other shops in town.
During the storm, water didn't just surge from the river behind the restaurant -- it came rushing down Main Street, flooding their business from the front doors to the back deck.
Banz-McCormack said there was nearly 10 to 12 inches of mud from the front door to the back deck. The aftermath was overwhelming.
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"It's still hard to wrap your brain around how this happened," she said. "It's just hard to imagine how much water it really took to do that."
It took almost two weeks for her family to begin cleaning up, but Banz-McCormack said there was never a doubt they would rebuild.
"The Army showed up shortly after the hurricane to help us clean out and muck out the building," she said.
While businesses worked to reopen, the town of Chimney Rock faced its own massive recovery. Crews had to replace water and sewer lines, and repairs to the only road leading into town took months.
The Riverwatch is back serving customers, and Main Street is once again bustling with locals and tourists.
"It's ten, eleven months in the making, but it feels so good to reopen our doors," Banz-McCormack said. "We're still Chimney Rock. We're still here. This is a new era for our town."
People are encouraged to stop by but keep in mind that rebuilding is still underway.
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