Windsor slammed by fourth historic flood

Slammed by four historic floods in less than 20 years, Windsor is now attempting to rebuild from Hurricane Matthew.
Posted 10/19/2016, 10:17:20 PM Updated 9/23/2025, 7:51:32 PM

A LONG WAY TO GO.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

THANK YOU.

>>> SLAMMED BY FOUR HI TORQUE

FLOODS IN LESS THAN 20 YEARS,

TWO OF THOSE FLOODS IN JUST THE

LAST FEW WEEKS.

>> WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THE

CHALLENGE FACING THE BERTEE

COUNTY TOWN OF WINDSOR.

EMMY VICTOR JOINS US LIVE FROM

DOWNTOWN WHERE PEOPLE THERE ARE

ALREADY WORKING TO REBUILD

AGAIN.

>> Reporter: WHAT YOU ARE

LOOKING AT HERE IS A PILE OF

DEBRIS IN THE MIDDLE OF AN

ALLEY WAY.

YOU ARE SEEING OLD CABINETS,

CARPETS, THINGS THAT WERE ONCE

PART OF A NATIONWIDE BUILDING

NOW ON THE STREET.

THIS IS A MAIN STREET DOWNTOWN.

YOU SEE A STORE FRONT DOOR

OPEN.

THIS IS REALLY BECAUSE PEOPLE

ARE EITHER DRYING OUT WET PAINT

OR PERHAPS THAT FLOOD WATER

SMALL, SOMETHING THAT THEY ARE

SAYING HAS BEEN ALL TOO

FAMILIAR LATELY.

KING STREET GRILL IS HAVING ONE

UNLUCKY YEAR.

YOU JUST OPENED UP IN MAY AND

YOU'VE NOW EXPERIENCED TWO

FLOODS.

>> TWO FLOODS, THAT'S CORRECT.

>> THEY'VE SPENT MORE TIME

UNDER CONSTRUCTION THAN THEY

HAVE IN BUSINESS.

>> WE JUST HAD TO COME BACK IN

AND GO HIGHER.

>> Reporter: THE KICK OF

FRUSTRATION FROM OWNER MIKE

BAKER AS THE DEBRIS JUST PILES

UP OVER AND OVER AGAIN.

>> I DON'T KNOW IF WE'LL EVER

BE NORMAL BECAUSE EVERY TIME A

STORM COMES NOW, YOU ARE JUST

WONDERING HOW DEEP IS IT GOING

TO GET.

>> Reporter: SKY 5 CAUGHT THE

WATER PUSHING THROUGH WINDSOR

LAST WEEK THE MAYOR SAID

HURRICANE MATTHEW FLOODED THE

TOWN.

>> REMARKLY, PEOPLE HAVE BEEN

PRETTY OPTIMISTIC.

>> Reporter: WITH MORE THAN 17

INCHES OF RAIN.

LAST MONTH, TROPICAL STORM

JULIA BROUGHT 14 INCHES.

>> THE FIRST FLOOD THIS YEAR

WOUND UP RIGHT ALONG HERE.

THE SECOND ONE GOT HERE.

>> Reporter: REBUILDING IS NOW

THE REALITY AT ALMOST EVERY

SHOP DOWNTOWN.

>> YOU GOT TO TAKE WHAT IS OLD

AND PUT IN NEW.

BUILD AND REBUILD.

>> Reporter: AT LEAST FOR THE

PEOPLE WOULD WANT TO KEEP

WINDSOR THRIVING.

IT IS A TOWN WHERE FLOODING IS

NEVER JUST A MEMORY.

>> A LOT OF THESE BUILDINGS ARE

100 BEING 1 OTHER YEARS OLD AND

YOU KIND OF HATE TO SEE IT TURN

INTO A GHOST TOWN.

-- 100, 150 YEARS OLD.

>> Reporter: THE MAYOR SAYS

AFTER THE FLOODING IN 2010, IT

TOOK NEARLY SICK YEARS TO HAVE

THE BUILDINGS FILL UP AGAIN.

TODAY, FOUR OF THE BYS HERE

SAID THEY WILL NOT RETURN.