Music.
We are now trying to go over the Stumpy Point
ferry check. So,
we have a document but we don’t know if they are going to let us through, so
we’ll see. Harry, what are you going to do on the island?
Harry: I’m going to drop medical supplies off.
Silvia Stoyanova: How often do you transport medical supplies?
Harry: Every day…
Silvia Stoyanova: So, we made it on the ferry this
morning and we are on the way to Rodanthe
to film the damages. Marcie Shoemaker: When the hurricane came
through that Saturday, the villages on the North of the island were flooded,
buildings and some homes washed away, we lost a house
into the ocean where the new inlet cut through right North of Rodanthe.
So, there was a ton of damage, ton of damage, and you haven’t
heard anything about it. It’s been devastating. The Monday after the hurricane,
we were cut off all communications; phones, cell phones, internet.
As our road was washed away in five places, we actually found out.
North of Rodanthe, Pea Island Wildlife Refuges, you can’t get anywhere
up there. By Wednesday the Red Cross moved in, Salvation
Army was brought down. After the storm with the road being washed away
the only resources that were brought down here were brought by ferry.
Emergency necessities were brought down, the doctors were brought down on the island,
gasoline was brought down because we were all on generator power.
Final, real power line won’t be pulled and ready f
for probably several weeks because they have to build the structure to go over the new inlets that have been created.
The media coverage, before the media hound all of our island
because it is a little strip of sand and it’s almost kind of a dooms day.
They come down, this is the storm of the century, this is the one that is going to wipe this island out
and then when it doesn’t happen, they are gone and
they don’t come back to even assess the damage that has happened. People have lost
their houses. My son’s friend’s house is gone, it was lifted off its foundation.
hey live on the sound, it flooded, it floated up and it moved off
its foundation and resettled in a different spot. Their house is gone.
So, you don’t hear any of that stuff afterwards, the media was not around
afterwards. I know you are not supposed to build on barrier islands or that you should
not, it’s not a good idea. The islands are constantly changing and rotating and turning
over on themselves. So, eventually your ocean front property is
no longer going to be ocean front. Your houses are going to fall in. It’s
a natural progression, it happens. But people
who live there normally don’t complain about those things, it comes with the
territory of where you live. It doesn’t really change my
mind on wanting to live there. If I moved away from there, it certainly would be for reasons
other than the storms because with a degree of Natural Resources I love
he weather, I love the outdoors. I like the way the island is during
a storm, I like watching the whole process of the island changing and
so to me it’s fascinating. I am cautious and I am careful
and I am prepared and I am aware so that’s why I am not scared.
Silvia Stoyanova: So, what does that mean for the businesses that rely on tourism?
Marcie: As of right now there are very
ew businesses open down there. I work at a restaurant that won’t be reopening and
so I am just like that out of a job.
That’s the bad thing about it. Your income can be gone in a second.
Right now they are only allowing residents back on the island and emergency personnel
and essential needs, things like that. So, this
is putting a temporary bridge over several of the inlets and filling in
the road North of Rodanthe and repaving it.
So, we’ve been gone 24 hours and we heard that
they have the road filled with sand already so that they may be ready to pave it by next week.
We watch the satellites, we watch the radar.
It definitely, definitely
gives you kind of a little better determination of whether you really should stay or really
should go. So, and this time based on those warnings, a lot of people
left.
Sound of wind.
Tom Richmond: It’s Captain Tom Richmond,
instant commander for Irene here on the island. Silvia Stoyanova: All right,
tell me a little bit about what’s going on now. Tom: Salvation Army has been requested to come
in and to make comfort stations and make sure that the people here
have food, water, the basic necessities, clean up kits, things like
hat so they can hopefully get their lives back into at least some normalcy.
The high winds did some damage but the biggest was the power surge of the water that came
through. The area we are standing in right now, they tell me it was under about 3
feet of water. We are serving anywhere from
a 1000 to 1500 meals every day. This community has a great history
of being able to bounce back and they do it quite well. What they are worried about
here is each other and really just keeping that way of life going.
Silvia Stoyanova: So, we made it to the first road cut off.
That’s just by the exit of Rodanthe
and they are working pretty hard here to recover the road,
putting sand and I hear
they will be putting a bridge here. We are actually walking
on Route 12 right now.
Sound of machines. Silvia: This was
This was the road and you can probably see where
the old road was underneath.
I guess that road was rebuilt many many times.
I am hot, tired and exhausted. My house was flooded so I am
living here at the station so I am here 24 hours a day but
I start at 6 in the morning and we finish when we finish.
Michael Daugherty: Michael Daugherty, Chief of Chicamacomico’s Fire Department.
Silvia Stoyanova: All right so what have you been through this past week,
ten days? Michael: We’ve been helping everybody get cleaned up, get the supplies
that they need, all the help that we can get people to get their houses straight,
things torn out of their houses, help keep the mold
down, help anybody that needs help and try to get them what they need.
Silvia: And you said your house was flooded? Michael: I had 24 inches of water in my house.
Luckily my wife was, I was able to free her up and then we got some volunteers
to help whenever they could so my house is guttered at this point.
Silvia Stoyanova: So, what are some of the worse damages around here?
Michael Daugherty: Houses that are washed away,
residences that are right now uninhabitable
and may not be habitable as the end result.
Very few people had no damage but they are many people who were completely displaced.
Silvia Stoyanova: How long do you think it’s going to take to get back to normal?
Michael Daugherty: Months…it’s going to be a few
months before people are back in their own homes.