Life slowly returns to normal in Kinston after Hurricane Matthew

Name: Life slowly returns to normal in Kinston after Hurricane Matthew
Uploaded: 2016-10-21T02:27:01.000Z
Duration: 2 min 17 s
Description: Several roads and bridges remain closed, including those on Queen Street and N.C. Highway 11, until engineers determine that they're structurally sound. But traffic is again roaring by on U.S. Highway 70, the lifeline of Lenoir County. Before the highway reopened, getting from one side of the Neuse River to the other required a detour of 90 minutes or more.

Several roads and bridges remain closed, including those on Queen Street and N.C. Highway 11, until engineers determine that they're structurally sound. But traffic is again roaring by on U.S. Highway 70, the lifeline of Lenoir County. Before the highway reopened, getting from one side of the Neuse River to the other required a detour of 90 minutes or more.

Posted 10/21/2016, 2:27:01 AM Updated 9/23/2025, 7:51:32 PM

TWO HOUR DELAY, AND ROBINSON

COUNTY SCHOOLS ARE CLOSED

AGAIN.

SEVERAL BRIDGES AND ROADS

REMAIN CLOSED.

>> AND SCHOOLS HOPE TO REOPEN

MONDAY, AND THE HIGH SCHOOL

FOOTBALL TEAMS ARE BACK IN

PRACTICE.

HERE'S OTHER ENCOURAGING SIGNS

OF COMMUNITY COMING BACK.

>> REPORTER: THIS IS A GOOD

SIGN.

HIGHWAY 77, LIFELINE OF LENORE

COUNTY BACK AND MOVING.

BEFORE THERE WAS A DETOUR OF

909 MINUTES OR MORE -- 90

MINUTES OR MORE, BUT NO MORE.

AND DOWN BY THE RIVER, ANOTHER

GOOD SIGN.

AT THE ULTIMATE BODY SHOP, THE

GUYS ARE DOING:

>> A LOT OF THE CLEANING UP AND

TEARING OUT.

>> REPORTER: DESKS AND

COMPUTERS WERE HAULED OUT

BEFORE THE FIVE FEET OF WATER

BARGED IN.

>> ANYTHING NOT NAILED OR

BOLTED DOWN.

>> REPORTER: WHEN DO YOU THINK

YOU'LL BE BACK IN BUSINESS?

>> HOPEFULLY NEXT WEEK IN THE

SHOP IN THE BACK.

>> REPORTER: BACK TO FIXING

CARS RATHER THAN FIXING UP.

>> WE'RE TEARING OUT AND WE'RE

HERE FOR THE DURATION.

>> REPORTER: ANOTHER MARK OF

PROGRESS, HAD I BEEN STANDING

IN THIS SPOT T HOURS AGO MY

ANKLES WOULD HAVE BEEN WET.

THE NOOSE RIVER IS WELL IN

RETREAT.

MORE INVITING THAN MENACING.

IT'S STILL HIGH, BUT WELL BELOW

THE HIGH WATER MARKS OF FLOODS

PAST AND THE WATER IS FLOWING

SMOOTHLY AGAIN.

BUT TWO KEY BRIDGES IN

DOWNTOWN, QUEEN STREET AND

HIGHWAY 11 STALE REMAIN CLOSED,

BUT HERE'S A WELCOME SIGN AT

THE MUSIC PARK.

THE RIVER NO LONGER ROLLS

THROUGH.

AND ACROSS SPRING HILL STREET

WHERE THE GUSHER NEARLY GOT TO

THE ANDERSON'S FRONT DOOR.

>> IT WAS SCARY.

>> REPORTER: THEY CAN GO HOME

AGAIN.

>> NOTHING LIKE HOME.

>> REPORTER: A GOOD FEELING.

AND THE GOOD SIGN WHEN THE SIGN

AT KING'S BARBECUE SAYS KINSTON

STRONG.

>> THERE'S STILL ONE SHELTER

OPEN IN THE AREA AT LENORE

COMMUNITY COLLEGE.

IT'S NOT CLEAR WHEN THE OTHER

BRIDGE ACROSS THE NOOSE RIVER

WILL REOPEN.

ENGINEERS ARE CHECKING TO SEE

IF THEY'RE STRUCTURALLY SOUND.