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Tarrytown Mall Finally
Comes Down 2006
The most visible and painful reminder of
Floyd Flooding, Tarrytown Mall,
finally came down March 19, 2006. Once a magnificent commercial crossroads for
Eastern NC, the flooded remains standing in weeds for nearly 6 years was a
demoralizing symbol of the many ways our area suffered a variety of economic
losses.
It is being replaced by a Sam's Club and signs of an invigorated economy are
emerging.
December 2001: More than two
years later
Flooded Houses bought out by FEMA are demolished
This is typical time line for most the
thousands of private homes destroyed in the
flood and purchased eventually by FEMA, property never to be inhabited again.
The Baggett Home |
The Strandberg Home |
Baggett Home. Photo take the day of the flood, Sept. 16, 1999 with people desperately trying to salvage personal items and furniture as the water continued to rise several more feet. (see link to Candlewood area.). Baggett Property: June, 2001, nearly two years later, the Baggett house sits empty and derelict, awaiting demolition by the city after the buyout from Fema was approved. It was purchased for approximately $450,000. Like the hundreds of other flooded out homeowners, the Baggetts lived in an apartment for nearly 2 years. |
Strandberg home. Next door to Baggetts. Photo take the day of the flood, Sept. 16, 1999 as the water continued to rise several more feet. (see link to Candlewood area.). Strandberg Property: June 2001. Still a lot of debris......heat ducts, ruined personal effects, etc. are evident nearly two years later as this home awaits in the weeds to be demolished this summer.
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The Strandberg Property as it looks now in March 2006 |
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A poignant sign in Old Sparta, between Tarboro and
Faukland,
speaks of the many towns and people who fell through the cracks without
aid.
January 2001, 18 months after the flood
First House Demolished in Fema Buyout
January 2001: The first home demolished in the FEMA buyout. The O'Berry
home, located
on Stony Creek across from Candlewood, was one of the most damaged homes, with an estimated 20 feet
of water sweeping over it, pushing it off its foundation and leaving it hanging
in the creek 16 months later. The home has been purchased by the city
through FEMA buyout program. This property will be owned by the city and no structure will ever be built upon
the property again. It is part of 416 houses in Rocky Mount alone to be
purchased and ultimately demolished. Hundreds of families still live in limbo, not knowing when or if their homes
will qualify for the buyout and still living in rental houses or with family until decisions are
made.
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November 1999.....Three Months after
the Flood
Hundreds of temporary trailers were brought into Rocky Mount
by FEMA to house just some of the the thousands in the
Rocky Mount-Tarboro area
who lost everything and had
no place to go after staying in the shelters.
One
year later there are still hundreds of occupants.
This
solution is only meant to be temporary.
Restoring housing is the priority issue
with the recovery.
These residents will need to find their own housing by March 2001.
A sign of hope and resolve.
November 1999, two months after the flood
Clean up crews authorized by FEMA got most of the debris from streets
and yards by Thanksgiving. The man operating this equipment said he had
"worked"
all the storms.....Hugo, Andrew, Fran.....but that he had never seen such
devastation
and debris and such people in need in all of his 15 years in this business.
Reinstalling new presses
Walker Ross Printing Company is back!
After receiving more than 60 inches of water in
its newly renovated printing plant,
Walker Ross had to lay off 79 employees and try to decide whether
to build
back after
suffering a $6.5 million dollar loss to newly
purchased presses, computer
systems and additions.
Only days after the flood, owner Miles Wright decided to build back and
the
presses were rolling again just 10 weeks later and employee have returned.
Walker Ross was sold back to former owners and investors and is now
in 2006 operating under the name of Riverside Printing Company
and still considered a premier area printer.
Christmas Eve 1999, 3 months later....
This Bunn Farm Family, at left with 2 of their 5 children
are living in a
very small
trailer parked in front of their
flooded home while trying to rebuild their home
that took on 3 feet of water from nearby Stony Creek.
This family is very
typical of the thousands of flood victims
who are unable to qualify for ANY
substantial FEMA assistance,
yet cannot afford to take on another mortgage
payment even at no interest.
Shown at right is Rocky Mount contractor Johnny High next to Holley Daniel
McArthur, presenting a $2500 check to this family the day before Christmas, from
a fund raising event that was put together by a group from Charlotte who have
close ties with Eastern North Carolina. High has been working
tirelessly to aid this family as well as countless other flood victims through
the Rocky Mount and Raleigh Home Builders Association
Lindy and Pattie Dunn moved back into their Candlewood Rd.
home the week
before Christmas.
Still without a working kitchen,
and with only 1 bedroom in livable
condition,
they were the first flooded family to move
back in after the flood in the
Candlewood area..
The Christmas tree in their window was a HUGE morale booster for their
neighbors!
If you have pictures and information about recovery efforts,
or
"good news" stories you would like to contribute,
please contact me by email! martha@danieldesign.com.
The Trip to Grand Forks, North Dakota
3 months after the flooding in North Carolina
website about Grand Forks Flooding 1997
The wonderful people from Grand Forks, ND learned
terrible lessons from their
1997 flood and fire that they wanted to share with people from Eastern North
Carolina.
They invited a contingent of community leaders to visit them and see their
recovery first hand.
Midway Airlines donated a 50 passenger Jet that transported the participants
directly from
Rocky Mount-Wilson Regional Aiport to Grand Forks. We left at dawn the morning of November 9.
Telegram publisher Rip Wooden, Tarboro businessman Bob Barnhill,
Rocky Mount Mayor Fred Turnage, and RM City Manager Steve Raper
board a bus to see the progress Grand Forks is making in building back.
The group was made up of representatives from Rocky Mount, Tarboro, Princeville,
and Greenville
as well as representatives from the state government.
The people of Grand Forks overwhelmed us with hospitality and hope.
Kel Landis of Rocky Mount, Bob Barnhill and Clark Jenkins
of Tarboro,
and a representative from Grand Forks listen to the speakers tell of the
sometime
heart-rending stories of despair, faith, hope and
recovery.
They assured us that we WOULD recover, but that it will take patience and
working together.
For the story of Grand Forks, see the 2 following links:
Alan
Drave's Site about The Flooding of Grand Forks 1997
One Year Later after
the Flood
Church groups from all over the country have been busy in
Nash and Edgecombe counties for a year now, helping to rebuild houses.
Shown above are trailers set up just to house and feed the thousands of
generous
volunteers of all ages who have come to this area to help.
The mound of dirt behind this Tar River bridge in
Tarboro is the infamous dike that is being rebuilt around
Princeville. The original dike was breached in Floyd's flooding
and wiped out the entire town.
The Discovery Channel production crew from London was
in Rocky Mount several times this summer to film the harrowing stories of escape
and rescue from the flood. Above are Melody Arnold and her children who barely
escaped from their home in Riverside and on the right, Fireman Steve Carey, who
is credited with saving many lives, including those of the Arnold family. The
documentary, which includes footage of flooding all over the world, will be
aired first on the Discovery Health channel October 31 and then later on the
regular Discovery Channel at a later date (watch this space for date).
More Pictures soon to come showing the recovery one
year later
Recovery
Art Auction November 4, 2000 proceeds go to help rebuild children's programs at Rocky Mount Arts Center |
This is an excellent site that has a great VIDEO that covers a lot of the news coverage that people in this area were not able to see because of lack of power. |
Building Back Better Creative Team
Wanting to help the community recover, a group of
advertising colleagues put their resources
together and have been instrumental in donating creating the "Building Back
Better Together"
slogan and marketing campaign that has been adopted by the Area Recovery
Committee.
Meeting once a week since the flood and donating their efforts , they are:
Don Williams (Lewis Advertising) Eddie Baysden
(Baysden Public Relations),
Ivan Price and Leonard Veillette (Veillette Printing and
Advertising)
and not pictured, Martha Daniel (Daniel Design Associates). Other members are
being
recruited and will be assisting with the campaign.