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After days of heartbreaking images of the destruction at Chimney Rock, the photo of an American flag at the top of the rock outcropping for which the area is named is lifting the spirits of local residents in Rutherford County and people across the  globe who have come to love the village and Western North Carolina.

The single image posted on the Facebook page devoted to Chimney Rock State Park has been shared nearly 8,000 times since it was posted Tuesday evening.

“Amidst the unimaginable tragedy our region and community are experiencing, we want to thank our State Parks team, who made it to the Rock and proudly raised the flag as a beacon of hope for all of Western North Carolina,” the post said  “This photo was taken by them on Monday, September 30th.”

Chimney Rock was nearly erased by Hurricane Helene. The small town, home to 140 residents, was buried under sludge and debris.