Devastation and Hope: Our Final Day in North Carolina
Our team’s last day was a sobering experience in Pensacola, NC, a place that revealed the vast extent of destruction caused by flooding and mudslides. This remote community was hit hard by a swollen river and devastating waves of water, mud, and debris that tore through homes with unimaginable force
A Church in Ruins
Our first stop was the local United Methodist Church, which bore the brunt of nature’s fury. The scene was heartbreaking. A massive tree with an 8-foot root base crashed through the back of the altar area into the sanctuary. Water and mud had ruined everything inside, except for some of the church’s history documents that were recovered. Mud still lingered beneath the sanctuary floors, which will be removed in the coming days. The rest of the church was beyond repair and slated for demolition. Broken pews, a lopsided piano, and parts of the church organ lay in ruin all around the front of the building. This all was hard to witness, making us think of the generations that has worshiped in the space over time. Yet even with the devastation, they are trying to save the sanctuary area.
One Family’s Shattered Home
We then visited a young couple’s home, where the impact of the disaster was painfully personal. The house had been swept off its foundation and destroyed by floodwaters. The wife, seeing her home for the first time since the disaster just the day before, was visibly traumatized. Three feet of mud covered everything left along with river debris. Their chickens had perished, but ironically, the rooster survived, perched on a damaged bunkbed that had been used by two of their four children. The walls were unstable and completely exposed with the living room area swept away. We cleared a path to the home with chainsaws and helped salvage what we could – glassware, children’s books, CDs, and toys. However, the house was beyond repair and will be demolished.
A Region in Crisis
The destruction is vast spanning a 100-mile swath through the mountains of NC with estimates of an $8 billion recovery. Search efforts are ongoing, with bodies still being recovered. Our team was given instructions on what to do if we found human remains. I-26 is still closed in several area, and we experienced roads being rebuilt daily, as well as temporary bridges being assembled to access homes. Power, water, and sewage services are sparse.
Looking Ahead
While the scale of suffering and destruction is overwhelming, we hope to live into a commitment to help in the rebuild.
- We plan to return in November with another team
- We’re working to mobilize more volunteers from Virginia
- We are also training more Early Response Team leaders from Floris
- We’ll continue to provide updates on how others can help in the coming weeks and months
I’m incredibly proud of this ERT team’s efforts. As we complete our work, we carry with us the stories of those affected and a determination to support their long journey to recovery.