I begin 2025 sitting at my desk looking out the window from my cabin at the Chimney Rock and Hickory Nut Falls. It is a beautiful view. If I shift my gaze down, I can see the destruction left by the flash flooding from TS Helene. Not a beautiful site but a view that is in my rear-view mirror.

2025 starts with hope and the feeling that this is the year of recovery for Chimney Rock Village and Hickory Nut Gorge. I think we will look back on 2025 as an amazing year when the new Village started to rise from the muck and debris to become the future, even better Chimney Rock Village. I can see it and you will soon start to see it too. So many positive things are happening here, and I want to share some of these with you.

- Congress passed the Supplemental Disaster legislation. The Small Business Administration (SBA) has now been funded. This means small businesses may seek SBA loan funding.

- Spokes of Hope, the miracle workers of Chimney Rock, are returning this Monday, January 6 to resume their rebuilding of the Village. Shane Zoccole said they will be focusing on getting the small businesses rewired, electricity on, plumbing, flooring and walls finished, and ready to reopen.

- At this Tuesday’s Village Council meeting, the council will review and award a bid to begin construction on the water and sewer system repairs and replacement for Main Street. This will be done in a few months and will enable the businesses on Main Street to reopen.

- Water has been provided to Southside Drive. Sewer and water service for the west side of the Village will be incorporated into the permanent road to Bat Cave as the road is rebuilt. Unfortunately, there is not a timeline but as with all of these projects, the contractors are moving as fast as they can.

- NCDOT continues to work on the road to Bat Cave. The plan is to open a temporary road for local traffic only and then begin construction on the permanent road. When this happens Chimney Rock Village will take down the checkpoint and allow people into the Village. This should happen within a few months.

- NCDOT is also working on the location and design of the new Chimney Rock Park bridge. They plan on having a public input session in the next few weeks.

- To clarify the checkpoint issue and passes into the Village. We have been asked by many people for a pass to drive through Chimney Rock to Bat Cave and vice versa. The passes have been issued to Chimney Rock residents, property owners, and emergency personnel to access property in the Village. The passes were never meant to provide through passage. The Village has been asked by NC DOT to restrict traffic as much as possible on the temporary road while the new highway is being built. When it is safe, NC DOT will notify us, and we will remove the checkpoint.

- The Chimney Rock Village Task Force is hard at work putting together a list of recommendations for the Village Planning Board and then the Village Council to consider. The Task Force continues having planning meetings and will schedule a public workshop meeting to gather public input in the next few weeks.

- The Village hired ROSTAN Solutions, a disaster recovery consulting firm, to help us with FEMA and obtaining the correct programs, funding, and assistance to rebuild the Village. We are exploring funding opportunities to assist with relocating businesses and neighborhoods, rebuilding infrastructure, adding parking, greenways, parks, and riverwalks. ROSTAN is here for the long haul and will be assisting Chimney Rock for years to bring the Village back and help us make it even better.

For our small community and Village that is a lot of positive activity, and it will continue for many years. It will be tiring at times, and I am sure it will seem never-ending as well. As we start 2025, I am all in. The future for Chimney Rock will need all of us.

Merry Christmas from Chimney Rock Village. We have made great progress in overcoming challenges from TS Helene and have much to be thankful for as there are many bright spots.

CityServe and Spokes of Hope put on a tremendous event for us last weekend with Christmas in Chimney Rock. We had over 3,000 people attend and about 1,700 took bus tours through the Village. Business owners served as tour guides and said people were amazed at the devastation but very supportive about all our efforts in rebuilding the Village.

Christmas in Chimney Rock Village is different this year but we still have our spirit and determination as we find our joy in working together as a community.

Thank you for your support, your efforts and best to you and yours for a Merry Christmas from Chimney Rock.

On Saturday, December 14, Chimney Rock Village will reopen for one day to allow visitors to tour the recovery work and adopt a small business impacted by Hurricane Helene's devastation. The Village will be open from 10am – 4pm for the Celebration. Sponsors are providing music, free food, goodies and visits with Santa. Visitors should park at Lake Lure Beach area and take a shuttle to the Village. Shuttles will run every 15 minutes.

The Village is most grateful for every contribution to the Chimney Rock Disaster Relief Fund. Come see our progress!

At 9:00 am September 27, Shari and Bobby Cummings woke up to water bubbling up through the kitchen floor. They quickly went upstairs to their Hickory Nut retail shop and peered through the window at the raging floodwaters. By 10:00 am, the refrigerator from the kitchen was floating down the river. At 10:15 am, the Hickory Nut collapsed with only the facade remaining. The couple and their cat Soffee quickly sought shelter at the Fire Department.

In their 27 years of owning the building, the Cummings had never seen water enter. Although they lost everything in their home and most of their store inventory, Shari, Bobby and their business partner Max Gonzalez are grateful they survived. Thanks to contributions to the Chimney Rock Village Disaster Relief Fund, the Hickory Nut received a grant to help create a new garden center and replace inventory. The future of the Hickory Nut building is unknown at this time. 

On September 27, Bruce and Rebecca Godzik escaped to the Village Fire House to watch the raging and rapidly rising Rocky Broad River literally wash their business Coffee on the Rocks off its foundation and into the muddy waters. It was a devastating and heartbreaking loss as their home also was attached to their business. Chimney Rock Village has been their home for 15 years. Like so many business owners here, the Godziks are committed to staying and rebuilding. The Village Council recently awarded the Godziks a Disaster Relief Grant to aid their extensive rebuilding efforts.

Note: The rubble to the right of the building pictured is all that remained of Coffee on the Rocks.

The Chimney Rock Village Council awarded $28,500 in the first grant cycle assisting seven families. This would not have been possible without the support of so many individuals contributing to the Village's Disaster Relief Fund. This has allowed the Village to directly aid citizens impacted by Helene.

Johnny and Betty Palmer of the Southside community are among the first recipients. They have been residents in Chimney Rock Village for 14 years. During a June 2024 storm, three trees fell on the Palmer's home destroying it. The rebuilding of their home was underway when Helene arrived and devastated all progress. Helene left their property covered with mud, sand and debris burying their new footers in mud and washing away the rebar. The grant will help with the expenses to restore their trench system to divert standing water, prepare a new survey, dig new footings, and provide septic services. Best wishes to the Palmers and all of our grant recipients as they begin anew their journey to rebuild!

The Village is incredibly grateful for the outpouring of support following the devastating storm damage from Hurricane Helene. While the rebuilding effort will take extensive work and time, the Village is encouraged by the progress which has been made.

1. The Rocky Broad River, which flowed through Chimney Rock Village, has been restored to its original channel to aid rebuilding. 

2. The entrance to Chimney Rock State Park has been cleared of debris. Plans are being developed to rebuild the public bridge connecting the Village to the Park.

3. Volunteer Groups along with the US Army 101st Airborne are removing the thick mud deposited in the stores and clearing the sidewalks.

4. Residents and merchants have been allowed to return to the Village. Merchants with buildings remaining have begun to remove salvageable items, discard ruined merchandise and assess structural damage. Sadly, many business owners and residents lost their buildings and homes and will need to completely rebuild. 

5. NC Department of Transportation has begun rebuilding Hwy 74A/64/9 from Chimney Rock Village west toward Bat Cave, NC, to reconnect communities. This will take many months to complete.