Officials in WNC address social media rumors following Helene

Officials in Rutherford County and the Chimney Rock Community say that rumors circulating on social media are completely false. Rutherford County Emergency Management released a statement saying there is no truth to the narrative that the government is seizing Chimney Rock.

They also said there was no meeting on Wednesday regarding government seizure of the area, which has also been rumored. Local officials did meet with state and federal officials to request support in the recovery efforts.

Officials say that there have been two confirmed storm related deaths in Rutherford County, as of the time of this report. They went on to say that there is no truth to the online claims that "bodies are everywhere".