Goldsboro residents return to find homes uninhabitable
THAT COUNTY THIS WEEK.
>> THE FLOOD WATERS THERE ARE
STARTING TO RECEDE.
GREG FISHEL JOINS US NOW LIVE
FROM GOLDSBORO WITH HIS TAKE ON
WHAT THAT MEANS.
GREG?
>> Reporter: DEB AND DAVID, A
LITTLE BIT OF GOOD NEWS.
IN THE TIME WAVE BEEN HERE
TAKING A LOOK AT THE WATER
BEHIND US, IT HAS DEFINITELY
MOVED.
I WAS USING THE MANHOLE COVER
IF YOU WILL AS A REFERENCE
POINT AND IT HAS DEFINITELY
RETREATED DOWN THERE AND I THE
BIT OF A SPEED BUMP HAS
ACTUALLY APPEARED THAT WASN'T
THERE BEFORE.
IT WAS THERE.
IT WAS JUST COVERED UP.
SO WE DO SEE AT LEAST SOME
POSITIVE SIGNS.
SOME MINUTE POSITIVE SIGNS THAT
THE WATER LEVELS ARE INDEED
GOING DOWN HERE IF ONLY VERY,
VERY SLOWLY.
EARLIER TODAY, WE BUMPED INTO A
WOMAN WHO GOT VERY BAD NEWS.
I TELL YOU, IF ONLY ALL OF US
HAD FAITH LIKE HERS.
IT IS HARD TO SIT HERE WHILE
YOUR HOME OF 30-PLUS YEARS IS
OVER THERE.
>> THE INSPECTORS WERE OUT THIS
MORNING AND THEY HAVE ALREADY
CONDEMNED OUR RESIDENCE.
>> Reporter: MAKING THAT NEWS
EVEN HARDER FOR RUTH DAVIS,
WHEN SHE LEFT SUNDAY MORNING
UNDER EVACUATION ORDERS, SHE
THOUGHT THEY WOULD BE FINE.
SUNDAY, WHEN YOU WERE ASSESSING
THINGS, IT LOOKED LIKE YOU HAD
DODGED A BULL QUOTE IT LOOKED
LIKE WE DID BECAUSE EVERYTHING
COME SUNDAY MORNING WAS NICE
AND CLEAR.
HAD NO IDEA THAT WE WOULD NOT
BE GOING BACK IN TO LIVE.
>> WERE YOU HERE IN 1999?
>> I WAS.
>> DID YOU GET --
>> WE DIDN'T HAVE THIS.
>> REALLY?
>> WE'VE HAD THIS HOUSE SINCE
'81.
WE BUILT.
WE WERE HERE WHEN FRAN CAME
THROUGH, FLOYD AND ALL OF THE
OTHERS.
BUT WE'VE NEVER HAD ANYTHING
LIKE THIS.
THIS IS OUR FIRST.
>> NOW, AFTER MATTHEW'S
SURPRISE, RUTH IS RELYING ON
HER STRONG FAITH TO HANDLE THIS
LOSS.
>> WE PRAYED BEFORE WE LEFT OUT
THE HOUSE.
WE COMMITTED EVERYTHING INTO
THE HANDS OF THE LORD.
SO WHATEVER THE END WOULD BE,
WE KNEW IT WOULD BE.
>> AND HE WILL TAKE CARE OF
YOU.
>> I'M NOT WORRIED.
I'M NOT DESPAIRING.
I'M IN THE IN DISMAY.
>> ACHED HER AFTERWARDS.
I SAID WOULD YOU CONSIDER
REBUILDING ON THAT SAME LOT.
SHE SAID MORE THAN LIKELY
INSURANCE COMPANIES WOULD NOT
GIVE YOU FLOOD INSURANCE ON A
PROPERTY THAT HAD ALREADY BEEN
CONDEMNED ONCE AND SO MORE THAN
LIKELY, SHE IS GOING TO HAVE TO
FIND ANOTHER PLACE TO LIVE.
BUT CAN YOU IMAGINE THAT?
PUT YOURSELF IN THAT POSITION.
YOU HAVE LIVED IN A PLACE 35
YEARS.
YOU HAVE ALL SORTS OF MEMORIES
IN THAT HOUSE, FAMILY, FRIENDS,
ALL SORTS OF THINGS.
WHEN YOU WALK OUT THE DOOR
SUNDAY AFTERNOON, YOU HAVE NO
CLUE THAT THAT IS LAST TIME YOU
WILL EVER SET FOOT IN THAT
HOUSE AS A RESIDENT.
I MEAN THAT IS UNBELIEVABLE.
BUT SHE HAD HAD A SMILE ON HER
FACE THE WHOLE TIME AND HER
FAITH IS CARRYING HER FORWARD
AS IT IS FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE
DOWN HERE.
>> HER FAITH IS SO STRONG.
LIKE YOU SAID, A LOT OF PEOPLE
PRAYING DOWN THERE JUST FOR
THINGS TO SUBSIDE AT THIS