Person County residents will wait months for Chantal repairs
OPPORTUNITY TO REMIND PEOPLE
NEVER TO DRIVE ACROSS A FLOODED
ROAD. AND BRIAN, IN TODAY'S
SEVERE WEATHER COMING ONE MONTH
AFTER CHANTAL SLAMMED OUR AREA
DUMPING HISTORIC RAIN.
>> SOME COMMUNITIES ARE STILL
DEALING WITH THIS, WASHED OUT
ROADS. TAKE A LOOK AT THIS.
MASSIVE COLLAPSED SECTION OF
PERSON COUNTY IN A ROAD IN
PERSON COUNTY. AND HERE IS
ANOTHER THAT SAME AREA, JUST A
SPOT THAT IS COMPLETELY
IMPASSABLE IN THIS IS JUST ONE
OF 6 COUNTIES DEALING WITH
THESE TYPES OF LASTING IMPACTS,
INCLUDING DURHAM. THAT'S WHERE
WE FIND WRAL'S ERIC MILLER LIVE
FOR US TONIGHT. MERIT. IT'S
GOING TO BE MONTHS STILL MONTHS
FOR SOME OF THESE AREAS TO
FULLY RECOVER
WELL, THEN IT'S EASY TO FORGET
JUST HOW SERIOUS THIS STORM
WAS. 6 PEOPLE DIED MORE THAN
A FOOT OF RAIN FELL IN PLACES
AND THE IMPACTS WERE SPREAD
ACROSS OUR REGION. YOU HAVE
INCIDENTS LIKE THIS IN DURHAM
RIPPLING STREAM ROAD WHERE
HOMES AND BUSINESSES WERE
FLOODED WITH FEET OF WATER.
>> THEN JUST TO THE NORTH, YOU
HAVE PLACES LIKE PERSON COUNTY,
WHERE ROADS WERE REALLY THE
MOST IMPACTED. THEIR FARMERS,
FIRST RESPONDERS AND MORE NOW
DEALING WITH THE IMPACT OF
THOSE WAS SHOT.
>> YOU MIGHT AS WELL CALL IT
A UFO, A GUARDRAIL DANGLING IN
THE AIR WERE NO GUARD REALLY IS
MEANT TO BE. THIS IS PERSON
COUNTY HISTORY STORE ROAD ONE
MONTH AFTER SHOT UNTIL IT WAS
REALLY TOUGH. JANE MARTIN WAS
HOME DURING THE STORM COURSE.
WE COULDN'T GET OUT OF THE
DRIVEWAY BECAUSE
>> OUR JOB WAS FLOODED WHEN
MARTIN AND HIS FAMILY DID GET
OUT. THEY FOUND WASHOUT AFTER
WAS A ALL AROUND THEIR HOME
DAMAGE THAT A MONTH LATER, HE'S
STILL HERE, ACCORDING TO NC
DOT. 26 ROUTE ACROSS 7 COUNTIES
ARE STILL DAMAGED OR WASHED
AWAY COMPLETELY BECAUSE OF
FLOODING FROM SEAN TOLL.
>> THE HARDEST HIT AREA PERSON
COUNTY WHERE 8 CLOSURES ARE
LEAVING. PEOPLE LIKE MARTIN
WITH A MAZE OF DETOURS TO DEAL
WITH. IF I WANT TO GO ANYWHERE,
I HAVE TO TAKE THOSE DETOURS
SHOWS RIGHT NOW. IT'S ONE WAY
IN ONE WAY OUT THE CLOSURES.
ALSO ADDING TIME ON THE ROAD
FOR FARMERS GOING TO HARVEST
CROPS AND FOR FIRST RESPONDERS
RACING TO EMERGENCIES AND IT'LL
BE A WHILE BEFORE THESE
WASHOUTS ARE FIXED. AND C DOT
SAYS 3, INCLUDING THIS WASHOUT
ON HISTORY STORE ROAD ARE
SCHEDULED TO BE REPAIRED BY THE
END OF SEPTEMBER. TEEN USING
THEIR OWN CULVERTS AND
CONSTRUCTION CREWS TO GET THIS
JOB DONE. BUT 8 OTHER LOCATIONS
AROUND THE COUNTY, INCLUDING
HERE ON NEWTON, PLEASANT LOOP
ROAD WORK WILL BE COMPLETED TO
THE END OF NOVEMBER IN AN
E-MAIL NC DOT SPOKESPERSON
KENNEDY WROTE THE AGENCY IS IN
THE PROCESS OF HIRING
CONTRACTORS BECAUSE OF THE
SCALE OF THE WASHOUTS IN A
WRITING. IF WE FIX THEM IN THE
HOUSE, WE COULD GET BEHIND ON A
REGULAR MAINTENANCE NEEDS THAT
NEWS WEAVING PERSON COUNTY
RESIDENTS LIKE JIM MARTIN WITH
NOTHING TO DO. BUT WAIT, I CAN
JUST WISH THEM LUCK AND
HOPEFULLY THEY CAN GET IT DONE
SOON.
>> AND GOVERNOR JOSH STEIN JUST
YESTERDAY DECLARED SEAN TOLL
A TYPE ONE STATE DISASTER THAT
OPENS UP A FOR PEOPLE IMPACTED
BY THIS STORM IS STILL PUSHING
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO DO
MORE TO HELP THOSE IMPACTED