Months after devastating floods caused by the remnants of Hurricane Helene, Chimney Rock, North Carolina, is still struggling. As tourists return to nearby towns, locals say their recovery has been slower. Janet Shamlian reports.

Chimney Rock

Chimney Rock, North Carolina, is still struggling to recover from the devastation caused by the remnants of Hurricane Helene. The town suffered extensive damage, with homes destroyed by mudslides and flash floods, and the only access road washed away. While neighboring towns have reopened to tourists, Chimney Rock remains without clean running water and sanitation, impacting local businesses and residents.

The town's remote location and challenging geography have slowed recovery efforts and increased costs. Despite these setbacks, community members remain resilient and optimistic, with running water expected to return soon and the local state park scheduled to reopen in the near future.

North Carolina town still without clean water after Helene

There were warnings before Hurricane Helene hit the mountains of North Carolina last fall, but they did not reach everyone who needed to hear them. At least 250 people were killed. Estimates of the damage are in the tens of millions of dollars. CBS News has been following the recovery, and Janet Chamlean has an update. Chimney Rock, North Carolina, was unrecognizable after the storm. Homes were ripped apart by mudslides and flash floods. Oh my goodness. Back then, it took hours and an escort for us to reach the town. The only access road washed away. Now, eight months later, we returned and found the tourist town is not ready to welcome summer visitors, desperately needed by people like Teresa and Glenn Cawthorn, who we met after the hurricane last September. How high was the water? I would say about up to the top of the AC copper tubing. Their house filled with mud, they moved into the hotel they own. The Chimney Rock Inn. They'd hoped to be reopened by now, like Asheville and other nearby cities, but Chimney Rock is still without clean running water and sanitation. Did you think you would have water and sewer by now? Yes. 100%. Yeah, I had no idea it was gonna take this long. The same is true all along Main Street. This store was full of mud. Peter O'Leary owns Bubba O'Leary's General Store. He's also mayor in the town of 125. The town's remote location and the very geography that makes Chimney Rock so stunning has made recovery work slower and more expensive. Is it hard to see places like Asheville getting ready to welcome people and you're just not there yet? Life is normal there. And then you come here and it's just, it's totally upside down. And that's what we're all trying to come to grips with is that our neighbors just a few miles away are living their lives and we're still trying to recover. But that's not deterring the community or the Cawthorns. We are resilient. You told me that last fall. Yes, absolutely. We're gonna be back and it's gonna be better than ever. There is positive news for Chimney Rock. Running water is set to come back online in the next couple of weeks and the popular state park is scheduled to reopen at the end of the month.

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