The village of Chimney Rock, North Carolina, turned the topic of quite a few rumors, which native officers stated have been false, after Hurricane Helen struck. The rumors began circulating on-line after Helene devastated the Rutherford County mountain city in late September 2024. As of Oct. 4, the storm’s death toll throughout a number of states stood at over 200 identified individuals.
Chimney Rock Mayor Peter O’Leary wrote in a public letter, “Quite a few residents, owners and companies have suffered catastrophic losses, and our group faces a protracted and troublesome highway to restoration.”
Among the many rumors shared by on-line customers have been claims that U.S. authorities officers organized a city assembly with Chimney Rock’s residents, the place the officers advised the residents they deliberate to bulldoze the city — together with any our bodies left behind — and that the federal authorities had seized their land and now owned all of it. The rumors additional claimed officers left our bodies within the streets and had no plans to take away them, in addition to advised tales of tires discovered slashed and criminals robbing folks at gunpoint.
For instance, on Oct. 2, a consumer on X promoted all of those rumors in a single post that acquired over 3 million views (archived). The consumer cited because the supply a message acquired on the account from one other particular person. The sender of the message claimed to know a buddy who owns a trip rental in Chimney Rock. The X consumer didn’t reveal the sender’s id or the id of the supposed buddy.
Following that X consumer’s put up, other users shared the identical rumors. Notably, one TikTok consumer whose video (archived) that repeated the rumors acquired over 1 million views started her video by saying, “Hey guys. I do not understand how true that is.”
On this story, we have now damaged down these rumors with info supplied by firsthand accounts from native officers on the bottom in Chimney Rock. First, we have supplied biographical particulars about our sources.
Firsthand Accounts from Native Officers
In our analysis to seek out the solutions behind these on-line rumors, we spoke with Kerri Giles, who stated she manages the county’s transit system and has labored for Rutherford County for 22 years. Following Helene, she now holds the function of public info officer for the native emergency operations middle, together with driving evacuation shuttles herself — together with a county commissioner and her husband — after not with the ability to make contact with different drivers.
By cellphone, Giles advised us that each one of many aforementioned rumors was false.
We additionally talked by cellphone with Chimney Rock village administrator Stephen G. Duncan, who supplied extra context in regards to the rumors of the bulldozing of the city, in addition to particulars relating to the city assembly.
City Assembly and Authorities Seizing Property?
The rumors of a Chimney Rock city assembly mirrored that of an actual assembly. Giles advised us she was current, and that it occurred on Oct. 2 round 12:30 p.m. EDT. Duncan additionally stated he attended the assembly, confirming it occurred in a room at an area hearth division.
Giles advised us, “I began getting folks emailing [and] asking questions on a secret assembly that was held supposedly in Lake Lure [and] Chimney Rock on Oct. 2. What really occurred on Oct. 2 was a gathering that I used to be current at with state and federal legislative workplaces and precise representatives eager to understand how they will greatest serve and assist get state [and] federal funding into Chimney Rock [to] assist them rebuild.”
Duncan stated a lot the identical, telling us the folks attending the assembly included native leaders and residents and likewise North Carolina U.S. Rep. Jake Johnson, in addition to the state’s Home Speaker Tim Moore and Sen. Tim Moffitt, amongst others.
Giles stated, “We, most of us, knew one another within the room, actually, boots and blue denims,” including that “the principle level of dialog was about infrastructure rebuilding.” She continued, “Particularly in Chimney Rock, lots of the retailer homeowners who’ve misplaced their companies additionally lived above their storefronts. So, it is not simply their enterprise. It is their house and their whole livelihood. And that is what they have been sharing with us as to what they noticed as wants.”
As for the rumors of the federal government seizing property, the Fb web page for Rutherford County’s Emergency Administration division posted a news release addressing “false experiences relating to Chimney Rock restoration efforts” (archived). The letter said, “There have been no discussions or actions taken by the federal, state or native authorities associated to property seizure in Chimney Rock or every other a part of Rutherford County.”
Plans to Bulldoze Chimney Rock?
The consumer on X who appeared to begin the rumor revealed that authorities officers stated through the assembly that “the city was being bulldozed, our bodies and all.”
Giles and Duncan advised us this was not true. The information launch posted on the emergency administration division’s Fb web page additionally specified, “Claims of ‘our bodies in all places’ are utterly unfounded.”
Duncan advised us, “The one bulldozing that we have now had is that they needed to clear three to 5 ft of sand and filth off of our important road right here on the town, and get all of it cleaned up in order that we may herald heavier tools, in order that they will actually use clamps and stuff to take away large timber that received washed in and the bottom that was taken out and are available up via right here. Proper now, our important road is reopened.” (Pictures hosted on the Getty Photographs image-licensing website — together with the image on the high of this text — appeared to point out precisely what Duncan described, with folks working heavy tools to clear giant timber.)
Talking of streets, Duncan detailed that lots of the restoration efforts have been already underway to open roads, together with entry to U.S. Freeway 74, which runs via the city. He additionally supplied particulars relating to plans for building firms to come back in from different cities to help, in addition to structural engineers to evaluate harm.
Our bodies Left within the Streets?
One other rumor supplied within the common X put up claimed, “They do not wanna determine the our bodies and so they’re simply leaving them to rot within the streets.”
Giles addressed that declare as effectively, telling us, “Individuals [are] saying that there are lifeless folks floating within the river, the lake, washing up on the shores. As of this morning, we have now a complete of three deceased in our county. [The] chances are we could uncover extra as we undergo particles, which isn’t one thing anyone desires to speak about however we’re not overwhelmed with the deceased in our group right now.”
She continued, “I’ll say, I am hoping one of many causes for that could be, if it holds true, is we modified out our whole siren alert system round Lake Lure. Completed it two weeks earlier than the storm hit [with] twice the dimensions poles. Poles at the moment are metal, not wood, have extra particular messaging, and we’re hoping that that may have resulted in additional folks attending to larger floor, however we do not know that but.”
Slashed Tires and Robberies at Gunpoint?
The put up on X additional claimed, “A number of truckers have reported having tires slashed. Our mates from Chimney Rock stated they’ve heard a number of tales of individuals being robbed at gunpoint making provide runs.”
Giles confirmed she knew of no experiences of any slashed tires or robberies of the described nature.
Purple Cross, FEMA and TEMA Confiscating Donations?
In a separate however associated rumor, some on-line customers claimed on Fb and X (archived) that the American Purple Cross, Federal Emergency Administration Company (FEMA) and Tennessee Emergency Administration Company (TEMA) have been confiscating donations of provides.
The American Purple Cross denied such claims in a post on Fb (archived), saying partially, “We’re not confiscating, eradicating or discarding donated objects. We give attention to offering shelter, meals, and aid after disasters.”
FEMA published on its web site the claims have been “false” (archived). TEMA additionally posted the rumor was “false” by itself Fb web page (archived).
Battling Misinformation and Elevating the American Flag
In our dialog with Giles, we requested about her private response to the false rumors about Chimney Rock. She answered, “It’s heartbreaking if you find yourself on the entrance traces with the only mission of attempting to avoid wasting folks, and folks need to sit and throw darts at you. Your front-line persons are a few of the greatest people you may ever meet. And it’s exhausting to course of that a lot, and it is a waste of assets.”
“I used to be driving an evacuation shuttle car on Saturday, and it is all arms on deck. And when it’s a must to cope with rumors, it simply takes assets away from the life-saving work we’re attempting to do.”
Duncan additionally advised us the story of elevating the American flag on the highest of the famous rock at Chimney Rock State Park, following the devastating storm. He stated he witnessed folks crying on the sight of the image of hope.
He advised us, “I’m standing right here trying on the most luxurious scene as folks climbed and hiked as much as the Chimney Rock. And I am watching the American flag wave on high. The rock just isn’t tilted, fallen, rolled. It’s proper above us with the American flag.” He continued, “The rock is steady, the flag is waving, the roads are being opened and we’re attempting to get a few of our utilities as much as assist the folks which might be right here.”
