The resort town of Chimney Rock, North Carolina, is unrecognizable after Hurricane Helen caused a series of damage in September, according to the town’s mayor Peter O'Learyy.
"It destroyed the village," O'Leary said. "It took away the ancient chimney rock."
On a typical summer day, thousands of tourists visit the mountain town, but the damage left by Helene blocks Chimney Rock to everyone except residents.
"I've met with FEMA inspectors who are checking for losses, so they can go on some FEMA projects," O'Leary said.
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Hurricane Helen's left ventricular was overthrown and residents spent months trying to recover. (Fox News)
The mayor said the working group of business owners and residents was created to oversee the planning of the new chimney rock.
When Helene changed the town forever, O'Leary said the reconstruction process was in progress with the goal of welcoming visitors in midsummer.
Residents like Lidya Gongage say there is a long road to recovery.
"In a few months, it's still just as bad," she said. "I think it's going to be two years of recovery. And it's never going to be the same."
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Volunteer contractors brought heavy machinery to help the town recover. (Fox News)
The contractors are working to build new tap water, sewer services and power lines throughout the town, while the Department of Transportation is rebuilding the regional bridge as Helen wipes it all off.
O'Leary said more than 2,000 volunteers, including some with heavy machinery, have entered the area to speed up the recovery of work.
One of the volunteers is Jake Jarvis, the owner of Precision Cravering, who specializes in building roads and cleaning up the location of the house.
Jarvis said he was working a lot on the boulder wall, where the houses were washed away by the storm.
"Trying to restore the best we can and give people what they are missing. If we can't give them (a) house, we can give them a place to build houses," Jarvis said.
The contractor works day after day to rebuild the mountain chimney rock in North Carolina. (Fox News)
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Jarvis said the work done for reconstruction was driven by donations, which allowed them to afford the materials they needed.