Some residents living near a tributary of the Tar River in Beaufort County were told to evacuate their homes in the middle of the night because water levels were quickly rising. The next day, many went back with jon boats and kayaks to rescue personal items from their homes.
It’s been a long process since Hurricane Matthew struck nearly a week ago. Now, eastern North Carolina is experiencing devastating flooding not endured since 1999 during Hurricane Floyd. While life is going on as normal for most people in our region, those who live along the rivers – especially the Tar River in Greenville and the Neuse River in Kinston – their lives are in upheaval.
In Beaufort County, residents along VOA Road outside of Washington were woken up by a knock on the door at 2 a.m. Sunday. Officials were warning of impending floodwaters and urging residents to evacuate their homes immediately. A tributary of the Tar River had overflowed its banks and was threatening several homes in the neighborhood.
“They moved everybody out across the street. It was mandatory, they made everybody leave to the elementary school down the road.”
Dustin Smith and his fiancé, Aliesha Piper, grabbed what they could and left as quickly as possible. But the water had already flooded their garage where the car was parked.
“We had six people push the car out, it’s running like crap right now and there was about 10 inches of water in the floor boards, our windshield is cracked up from tree branches falling and hitting it.”
Dustin and Aliesha made their way to New Bern where they spent the night with a family member.
On Monday, they were back in Beaufort County to retrieve personal items left behind in the frantic nighttime evacuation. By then, barricades were set up on VOA Road in both directions blocking traffic. In the last 32 hours, the water had come up about seven feet, and was still rising.
“It was on the first step of the walkway going up to the house. As you can see right now, it’s almost on the second plank, which is almost about 8 feet to 10 feet in the air, right there.”
Dustin set a plastic blue kayak in the floodwaters, walked it out to a deeper area, cautiously climbed inside and slowly towards his house some 50 yards away.
“I’ve never done this before!”
Dustin is originally from South Bend, Indiana. He’s never experienced flooding like this. But Aliesha remembers Hurricane Irene in 2011.
“There was some flooding in Vanceboro when we were living there but other than that, no. Nothing this bad.”
They weren’t the only ones trying to save personal and sentimental items. People in small skiffs and rafts were paddling back and forth between houses and dry ground, dropping off flat screen T.V.s, computers, clothing, photo albums and other belongings. A small gathering of about a half dozen people stood at the water’s edge – friends, family and neighbors- ready to assist as boats pulled up. Dustin and Hailey Overton were helping their mom get things out of her house by 5pm. That’s when they were told everything would be underwater.
“You can see the ripples coming in as the water is still coming from the bridge. The sheriff just came up and told us that it was rising more than they were expecting it too initially. And he gave everyone here an evacuation order effective immediately.”
One by one, pickup trucks back up to the floodwaters to offload a boat, a couple of people jumped in and paddled off. Dustin says the scene reminds him of Hurricane Floyd.
“It was just as bad as this. We had people trying to get rescued by boats, you got caskets popping up all over the place, power out for a month and a half. Yeah, that’s probably what you’ll see here.”
The right side of VOA Road, the ground is lower and the water was already up to the window sills in several of the houses. A red car in the distance was partially submerged and water had already come up to the headlights. Resident Bud Alligood was loading a couple skiffs on a boat trailer. He had about a foot and a half of water in his home.
“We got a lot of water, and everything we own was destroyed or damaged. Except for, luckily, we got our vehicles out, barely got them out. Other than that, we’re just taking it day by day.”
Some of Bud’s cousins and friends helped him get electronics out of the house. Unfortunately, he had already lost thousands of dollars’ worth of power tools to the rising floodwaters. Things can be replaced he tells me, but lives can’t. Until the water recedes, he’s staying with family in Chocowinity.
“Me and my son, we’re over there. I mean, we’re homeless right now. We’re doing the best we can, you know?”
Nearby residents in the path of rising floodwaters silently watched from afar, arms folded, as another boat pulled up, loaded with personal possessions. People sprang into action loading the items into a waiting car. The conversations remained lighthearted, but there were pensive looks on many of their faces.
Dustin Smith paddled the kayak up to the water’s edge and his fiancé Aliesha Piper grabbed a couple of pillows, and his badge for work. He climbed out of the kayak and reported that the water was only a couple of feet from coming in the house.
“We’re probably going to lose everything. Yeah. The way that they’re talking, probably.”
This couldn’t come at a worse time for Dustin and Aliesha.
“I’m really hoping that the house is alright. We just got the nursery set up. I’m due in 20 days and she could come any time now. It’s really scary stuff.”
