CHIMNEY ROCK, N.C. — An administrator with the village of Chimney Rock, North Carolina has debunked claims that federal officials ordered the area to be bulldozed.
Stephen Duncan, Chimney Rock Village Administrator, expressed frustration about the claims in a conversation with WCNC Charlotte on Thursday.
Online posts began circulating this week claiming that federal officials told village leaders that the government was exercising eminent domain over Chimney Rock and would bulldoze the entire village to clear out the destruction left by Hurricane Helene.
Duncan says there is no such plan to bulldoze the village. He said any such attempt to "bulldoze the village" would be met with legal action from Chimney Rock.
The death toll from Helene has surpassed 200 as of Thursday, with around 90 of these being in North Carolina alone. Chimney Rock was one of Helene's worst-hit places. The small village in Rutherford County suffered massive amounts of destruction from the storm.
One resident estimated that about 40% of the village was gone with buildings, streets, and homes completely destroyed in the area.
"It's so overwhelming you don't even know how to fathom what recovery looks like, let alone where to start," Tariq Bokhari, a Charlotte city councilmember, wrote on X. "Going to be a long path to recovery that all levels of stakeholders are going to be needed."
Chimney Rock is located about 110 miles northwest of Charlotte and about 20 miles southeast of Asheville. The village is a popular tourist destination, particularly for nearby Chimney Rock State Park.
In an email response to WCNC Charlotte, Chimney Rock State Park officials reiterated they had no information about any bulldozing plans. Administrators have not yet conducted an assessment of park conditions. The park will be closed through Oct. 31.
