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<\/a>This major weather event impacted the Down East area near Beaufort, North Carolina with sustained 2.5 feet of flooding. This was the third time this century that hurricanes have devastated the area: Isabel in 2003; Irene in 2011, and now Florence on Sept 13 2018 at 3:40 AM.<\/p>\nUpon our arrival from Washington State and Northern California, we were welcomed by the Ann Street United Methodist Church in Beaufort with warm classrooms, a full kitchen, and showers. Beaufort is the third oldest town in the state and the bell in the Ann Street church tower dates back to the American Revolution (one of 13 placed in the original 13 colonies).<\/p>\n
In our orientation meeting we learned the Mayor of Beaufort remained \u201ccaptain of his watch\u201d and stayed throughout the hurricane, high winds, tornados, and flooding! Frequently we were reminded that the people are proud and do not seek help willingly. Around 1,000 people in the Down East area are without homes. Many who are unable to secure FEMA assistance are living in water-soaked, moldy, and unhealthy homes.<\/p>\n
After the storm, Ann Street UMC opened wide their doors and served over 60,000 meals, hosting a Free Store where they distributed cleaning supplies, UMCOR buckets, drinking water, food, pet food, etc. And ERT teams were activated to make need assessments. Trucks arrived with supplies from Raleigh and monetary donations continue to arrive. Three UMCOR tool trailers are well-supplied and made available for teams. A Housing Fair allowed those affected or displaced from the storm to connect with representatives from FEMA, Red Cross, insurance, real estate and rental companies as well as local\/state, and national disaster programs. The Command Center for the area is located in the church office and referrals for assistance are prioritized. Although Ann Street UMC had an Emergency Plan, they found it was necessary to continually adapt and evolve their plan in the face of such a large disaster. Recently the Baptist churches have joined efforts with the United Methodists to continue to provide for the people and clean-up efforts.<\/p>\n
Prior to beginning on Monday morning, two church members treated us to the local breakfast nook \u201cThe PIG\u201d in the Piggly Wiggly market. Team members expected to see miles of destruction; however, water and wind damage is difficult to see. Indeed we witnessed the many fallen trees and piles of debris along the road sides and piled higher than the local school in a designated park. When we arrived at six different homes, the water damage and black mold became evident of what remained.<\/p>\n
Our motley crew repaired the tarp on the roof, put up vinyl siding, cleaned awnings, removed rubbish, and scrubbed the large porch of mold and mud. Norma was advised to call the local fire department to burn the two large piles of rubbish in a controlled fashion. To feed our souls, Kay, a friend of Norma\u2019s brought a \u201cdump\u201d cake as a thank you. Once again we held a prayer circle and Norma was presented with a handmade prayer shawl and quilt to offer the warmth of caring women of the two before mentioned United Methodist Churches. The waterside location abounded in God\u2019s beauty against the previous dark days of only seven weeks after the hurricane.<\/p>\n Thursday allowed the team to acquire better understanding of the assessment process for three homes referred for ERT assistance. Kudos are extended to our leader, Steve, for his knowledge of finding hidden areas to look for damage. Additionally he underscored our purpose to satisfy the three S\u2019s of an ERT: Safe, Sanitary, and Secure. An additional training of assessment is strongly suggested for all ERT members!<\/p>\n<\/a>The owner of our first home is an elderly lady, Nancy. She had been away from her home since early August to be with her husband who lost his battle with cancer the week before we arrived. When Nancy returned to her family home that her Daddy had built, she found the living room and dining room were water-soaked. Fortunately her children were able to move the less damaged furniture to the second floor bedrooms. Our leader, Steve, spent hours under the house clearing out insulation for other team members to pile up along the road. Kristin and Bill were intrigued by the skeleton of an animal head found on Halloween in the moldy and water-soaked insulation. Doug cut off the wall board in a nearby bathroom that also had been saturated, while Noriko, Gordon, and Mary Ellen moved furniture in the upstairs to remove carpet. Although Nancy desired to keep the wood flooring, the water damage will require its removal and full reconstruction of the main floor. We worked steadily for a day and a half in a beautiful rural setting in Smyrna, North Carolina. John Dutton, pastor of Willington and Stacy UMC churches, who had referred Nancy for our assistance and visited us at lunch time. And Ray, the on-site supervisor surprised us with pizza.<\/p>\n<\/a>For years Nancy was an EMT for the local area and Mary Ellen learned that she had served on three UMC Volunteers in Mission medical trips to El Salvador, Guatemala, and Panama. Tears of joy filled her eyes and Nancy was warmly touched during the prayer circle before we departed. She was presented with a prayer shawl made by the Ann Street UMC women\u2019s group, and a prayer quilt lovingly made by the Prayers and Squares group at Lynnewood UMC in Pleasanton, California.<\/p>\n<\/a>Our second homeowner, Norma, is a young at heart 81-year-old woman who was at a church meeting when the hurricane raced into the area where a tree barely missed the fellowship hall and \u201csounded and felt like an earthquake\u201d. Eleven, including Norma and other adults and children, remained at the church for several weeks. Fortunately the church is prepared with an emergency management system and Norma is CERT certified. The 158 mile winds blew her back door to the garage open and 16 inches of rain and wind forced water inside and into the house and destroyed the garage door. When she entered her home she found water and \u201cstinky\u201d black marsh residue throughout her single story home. Norma offered her first impression, \u201cIt is not what it looked like, but what it could have been!\u201d A lady who has had two lung operations and is continuously coughing and wheezing worked with a female deacon and cleaned up the muck and residue of 16 inches of water throughout her home prior to our ERT assistance. Just recently Norma was recognized as a \u201cfemale pioneer\u201d with the National Park Service where she managed parks throughout the United States.<\/p>\n<\/a>The first home was in Williamson where it was determined that no ERT work would be assigned. A second home was inhabited by a middle-aged couple and their son and his family. The wind and rain had caused water to accumulate at the threshold of their front door. However, the house was built on a high foundation and the fix could be completed by the homeowner. It was discovered that there was lots of moisture under the house and the team advised removing the trellis fencing that was placed to keep out animals but closed off the airflow needed for full ventilation. No ERT work was recommended.<\/p>\n