Kinston residents remain hopeful after Matthew
SAY A LONG-TERM RECOVERY PLAN
WILL BE ANNOUNCED EARLY NEXT
WEEK.
>>> THE NEUSE RIVER IN KINSTON
REACHED RECORD HIGH LEVELS AND
IS NOT EXPECTED TO DROP BELOW
MAJOR FLOOD STAGE UNTIL NEXT
WEEK.
COVERAGE BEGINS WITH WRAL'S
KATHRYN BROWN LIVE IN KINSTON
WHERE HOMES AND BUSINESSES ARE
FLOODED AND NUMEROUS ROADS ARE
IMPASSABLE.
GOOD EVENING.
>> Reporter: GOOD EVENING, KEN.
IT IS JUST UNBELIEVABLE AS YOU
DRIVE AROUND AND SEE SOME OF
THE DAMAGE.
MANY MAJOR ROADS IN KINSTON
INCLUDING 70 WHERE WE'RE
STANDING NOW ARE STILL BLOCKED
OFF.
THE WATER IS BEGINNING TO
RECEDE SO ENGINEERING CREWS ARE
ABLE NOW TO GET OUT AND START
ASSESSING THE STABILITY OF SOME
OF THESE ROADS TO SEE IF THEY
CAN REOPEN AND THAT'S JUST THE
FIRST STEP IN WHAT WILL BE A
VERY LONG PROCESS OF
REBUILDING.
JANETTA DIXON AND TONY SWINSON
ARE LEARNING OF A PAINFUL
LESSON.
WHEN YOU SUDDENLY HAVE NOTHING
EVERYTHING MATTERS.
>> COMPLETELY GAVE UP THIS
MORNING.
GETTING REDIRECTED TO ANOTHER
LINE.
REDIRECTED TO ANOTHER LINE.
>> Reporter: MATTHEW FORCE
THEIR FAMILY OUT OF THEIR HOME
INTO THIS SHELTER AT KINSTON
HIGH SCHOOL.
THE TRUNK OF THEIR CAR IS
FILLED WITH WATERLOGGED CLOTHES
AND DAMAGED KEEPSAKES.
THINGS THEY RUSHED TO SAVE AS
THE WATERS ROSE.
THE FRONT OF THEIR CAR IS
FILLED WITH DONATIONS.
>> GOT PILLOWS, GOT A WHOLE
BUNCH OF STUFF SO MY KIDS WAS
SITTING IN THE CAR, SO I MADE
SURE WE HAD SOME BRAND-NEW
CLOTHES, SHOES.
>> WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY GAS OR
ANYTHING.
THEY FILLED OUR TANK UP WITH
GAS.
TOOK US TO GOLDSBORO.
FED US.
GOT ALL THE KIDS CLOSED.
>> Reporter: THOUGH THE NEUSE
RIVER'S RECORD-BREAKING
FLOODWATERS HAVE SLOWLY BEGUN
TO RECEDE, THE DAMAGE IS
STAGGERING.
NEARLY $1.5 BILLION STATEWIDE
AND COUNTING.
MANY PEOPLE LIKE ANNE JOHNSTON
STILL CAN'T GET BACK TO THEIR
HOMES TO EVEN ASSESS THE DAMAGE
AT.
>> KIND OF AT A LOSS RIGHT NOW,
LOSS OF WORDS.
YOU FEEL LIKE YOU DON'T HAVE
ANYTHING.
YOU KNOW?
IT'S LIKE GOING TO BE STARTING
ALL OVER AGAIN.
>> Reporter: STILL THROUGHOUT
THE LOSS AND HEARTBREAK, THERE
IS GRATITUDE AND PLENTY OF IT.
>> FROM NOTHING TO JUST HAVE
PEOPLE EMBRACE YOU AND HAVE
SOMETHING, OVERWHELMED.
OVERWHELMED.
>> Reporter: KEN IT WAS
STRIKING NOT JUST THAT FAMILY
BUT OTHER FAMILIES WE
ENCOUNTERED AT THAT SHELTER AT
KINSTON HIGH SCHOOL, THEY WERE
STANDING THERE WITH NOTHING
LEFT LITERALLY JUST THE CLOTHES
ON THEIR BACK AND THEY WERE SO
GRATEFUL FOR WHAT PEOPLE ARE
DONATING, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF
DONATIONS SITES.
WE'VE GOT THEM LISTED ON OUR
WEBSITE, jshu.net.
MANY OF THEM WORRIED ABOUT
WHERE THEY WILL SPEND THE NEXT
NIGHT, WORD COMING TO SCHOOLS
IN LENNAR COUNTY ARE CLOSED FOR
AT LEAST THE NEXT WEEK FOR
STUDENTS SO THE SHELTER AT THE
HIGH SCHOOL SHOULD REMAIN OPEN.
THAT SHOULD COME AS A SOME GOOD
NEWS FOR FOLKS STAYING THERE.
SPOT YOU CAN'T HELP BUT BE
MOVED BY THEIR SENSE OF
RESILIENCE AND WILLINGNESS TO
COME BACK AND STAY AFLOAT.