Permanent housing in short supply after hurricane

Two months after flooding from Hurricane Matthew devastated parts of eastern North Carolina, hundreds of people remain homeless.
Posted 12/9/2016, 11:08:20 PM Updated 9/23/2025, 7:51:37 PM

HURRICANE MATTHEW LEFT CAROLINA

UNDER WATER.

MANY CASES THE CLEANUP

CONTINUES AND IN SOME CASES

PEOPLE STILL CAN NOT GO HOME.

>> GOOD EVENING.

>>> WE ARE LIVE IN STUDIO A.

WITH COATS FOR THE CHILDREN

FUNDRAISER EFFORT.

WE WILL CHECK IN WITH THEM

LATER IN THE NEWSCAST.

>>> FIRST, SINCE MATTHEW HIT

THE STATE IN OCTOBER ALL OF THE

SHELTERS CLOSED AND THE LONG

PROCESS OF REBUILDING IS

UNDERWAY.

IT THIS FLOODING DAMAGED

30,,BUSINESSES, CAUSED MORE

THAN $400 MILLION IN CROP

LOSSES AND THE ECONOMIC DAMAGE

COULD EXCEED $2 BILLION.

ALL OF THIS AA CORDING TO THE

GOVERNOR'S OFFICE.

>> ONE OF THE HARDEST HIT

AREAS, IS LUMBERTON.

WE SPENT THE DAY FINDING OUT

HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE RECOVERING.

>>> I AM AT THE HILTON HEIGHTS

PUBLIC HOUSING AREA.

THIS IS ON KING STREET.

IT IS OFF OF 5TH STREET.

THIS IS ONE OF THE HARDEST HIT

AREAS.

YOU CAN SEE THE DEBRIS FIELD

STRETCHING FOR A BLOCK STILL.

2 MONTHS AFTER THE STORM.

REPRESENTS A PORTION OF THE

PEOPLE'S LIVES WHO WERE WERE

TORN APART BIA THAT STORM.

>> Reporter: A STRUGGLE

GETTING BACK ON THEIR FEET.

BUT THE COMMUNITY HAS BEEN GOOD

FOR THEM.

>> THERE IS NO PROBLEM.

GETTING ANY HELP FROM ANYWHERE.

SO, LIKE THANKSGIVING, WE WERA

ABLE TO GET HELP FROM DIFFERENT

PLACES.

-- WE WERE ABLE TO GET HELP

FROM DIFFERENT PLACES.

WENT TO DIFFERENT CHURCHES.

>> NOW, THE COMMUNITY CENTER, A

HUGE WAREHOUSE, DONATED

CLOTHING AND OTHER ITEMS ARE

COLLECTED AND SORTED.

>> THE CLOTHING THEY GET.

THE BLANKETS AND THE

COMFORTERS.

THE TOYELS, THE WASHCLOTHS, THE

SOCKS, -- TOWELS THE

WASHCLOTHS, THE SOCKS, WHATEVER

THEY NEED.

>> RESIDENTS ARE ASKING FEMA

FOR HELP $21 MILLION OF AID HAS

BEEN APPROVED.

WELL IS STILL A NEED FOR

HOUSING.

MORE THAN 600 PEOPLE ARE LIVING

IN MOTELS.

>> IF THERE IS SOMEWHERE FEMA

CAN BRING TEMPORARY SHELTERS,

TRAILERS LIKE THEY DID WHEN I

WAS DOWN AT KATRINA FOR THOSE

PEOPLE TO LIVE IN, THAT WOULD

BE A HELP.

>> Reporter: FEMA IS WORKING