# @chapelboronews on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DOJLsTZDURe
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/34060117-chapelboronews-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/2421d050e4.jpg
- **Posted:** 2025-09-03T14:29:33.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Chapelboro.com (@chapelboronews) — https://gondola.cc/chapelboronews

## Caption

The Occaneechi Replica Village in Hillsborough’s River Park was among the many places in Orange County damaged by Tropical Depression Chantal last month. The tribe and volunteers have begun clearing some debris around the area, but the village will remain closed to the public throughout a months-long rebuilding process ahead. 

The palisade that surrounded the village bore the brunt of the flood damage, with about a quarter of the roughly 400 poles being uprooted and scattered around the area, likely because they had become loose and wobbly in their holes over time. The huts within the village fared slightly better, with elements like thatching and cloth being washed away but the frames mainly still in place, albeit bent and twisted in some places. 

Orange County cultural resources director Peter Sandbeck said the water reached about six feet high at the village. In previous storms, he’d never seen it go higher than two.

“At first I couldn’t get my mind around it, because we worked on this as a group of volunteers, with me at the county, helping since 2016 to get it built,” he said. “We never imagined that it would take a hit like this. Just never occurred to us. It was unexpectedly extreme damage in terms of what we were imagining a flood would do. I don’t think we ever envisioned six feet up on the palisade.”

Sandbeck said the work ahead will be strenuous, but he’s encouraged by high volunteer turnout so far.

“It’s a lot of work for the volunteers to go to clean out the holes and the footing and reinstall the poles. We gotta put cedar wedges in to hold it tightly in place. Each pole is a process, and it’ll take many volunteer hours to get those put back,” he said. “We have a great crew, I think there’s been a lot of enthusiasm among some of the younger tribal members now, and they brought friends and members from related tribes, and it’s been a growing body of really strong workers who really feel a connection with the village. If we had to pay for all the labor we get on all the volunteers, it would be a huge number. Many, many thousands of dollars.”

Full story on Chapelboro.com.
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#hillsborough #occaneechi #hillsboroughnc #chantal

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## Tags

hillsboroughnc, chantal, occaneechi, hillsborough

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