Seven Springs residents seek safety as waters rise
THE ROAD IS COME PLOTLY
COVERED.
AND CLOSER TO HOME, THERE ARE A
NUMBER OF STORIES UNFOLDING IN
JOHNSTON COUNTY.
TWO PEOPLE KILLED.
CREWS STILL PERFORMING WATER
RESCUES RIGHT NOW.
>> MANY ROADS STILL UNDER WATER
INCLUDING THE MAIN ROAD INTO
DOWNTOWN SMITHFIELD HIGHWAY
70ED INTOED FROM THE NEUSE
RIVER.
THIS IS WHERE WRAL'S AMANDA
LAMB IS LIVE TONIGHT.
WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE THERE?
>> Reporter: CHECK IT OUT.
WATER AS FARS AT EYE CAN SEE.
AT NOON BE WE WERE IN
SMITHFIELD ON THE OTHER SIDE OF
THE BRIDGE.
THE BRIDGE IS CLOSED.
SO WE DECIDED TO COME OVER HERE
AND AS YOU CAN SEE, ALL THESE
BUSINESSES BEHIND ME, THEY ARE
UNDER WATER.
THE GOOD NEWS, THIS WATER HAS
GONE DOWN SEVERAL FEET IN THE
LAST FEW HOURS SINCE WE'VE BEEN
HERE.
BUT EMERGENCY MANAGERS CANNOT
STRESS ENOUGH THAT DRIVING
THROUGH THIS IS VERY, VERY
DANGEROUS.
>> I HAVE ABEEN LIVING MERE FOR
SIX YEARS AND I'VE NEVER SEEN
WATER OVER HERE.
>> Reporter: THE FLOODING FROM
THE NEUSE RIVER IN DOWNTOWN
SMOIGHT FIELD -- SMITHFIELD IS
A FIRST FOR LONG TIME
RESIDENTS.
>> I'VE NEVER SEEN WATER OFFER
HERE BEFORE.
I NEVER SEEN IT FLOOD ALONG THE
RIVER.
>> USUALLY, YOU CAN WALK DOWN
THE MIDDLE OF THE RIVER.
THAT IS HOW LOW IT USUALLY IS.
NOW, IT IS 20-FOOT HIGHER THAN
WHAT IT IS SUPPOSED TO BE.
>> NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE
THIS BEFORE IN MY LIFE.
>> Reporter: NEITHER HAVE
EMERGENCY WORKERS IN JOHNSTON
COUNTY WHO HAVE BEEN CALLED TO
200 RESCUES, MOSTLY FROM CARS
DRIVING THROUGH FLOOD WATER.
A BODY WAS RECOVERED FROM A CAR
MONDAY MORNING.
THE SECOND DEATH AS A RESULT OF
THE STORM HERE.
THIS COUPLE HELPED A WOMAN
WHOSE CAR WAS STRANDED IN THE
WATER.
>> BUT I'M GLAD WE WERE THERE
FOR HER BECAUSE SHE WOULD HAVE
-- IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A
COMPLETE LOSS.
>> Reporter: ONSTON COUNTY HAS
ABOUT 20,000 PEOPLE WITHOUT
POWER AND AS MANY AS ONE-THIRD
OF THE RESIDENTS ARE WITHOUT
WATER.
SOMETHING THE COUNTY IS TRYING
TO FIX.
BUT THERE IS NO QUICK FIX FOR
THIS.
NO ONE KNOWS WHEN THE WATER
WILL RECEDE OR WHAT DAMAGE WILL
BE LEFT IN ITS WAKE.
THEY ARE ADJUSTING TO A NEW
NORMAL.
>> GETTING AROUND IS REALLY
HECTIC BECAUSE EVERYTHING IS
CUT OFF.
EVERYTHING IS BLOCKED OFF.
SO THERE IS NOWHERE TO GO.
>> Reporter: ANOTHER BIG
PROBLEM HERE IN JOHNSTON
COUNTY.
THIS BUILDING, THIS IS A SCHOOL
BUILDING.
THE FACILITY SERVICES BUILDING
FOR THE JOHNSTON COUNTY
SCHOOLS, IT IS COMPLETELY UNDER
WATER.
ALL OF THEIR VEHICLES ARE UNDER
WATER AND THE DATA CENTER WHICH
HOUSES ALL OF THEIR ONLINE
PLATFORMS, THEIR COMPUTER
SYSTEMS IN THIS BUILDING.
THEY AREN'T BEEN ABLE TO CHECK
AND SEE SWAT DAMAGE IS YET AND
THEY ARE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT
HOW TO MAKE THE SCHOOL SYSTEM
WORK WITHOUT THE INFORMATION IN
THIS BUILDING.
SO A LOT OF DAMAGE HERE IN
SMITHFIELD AND A LOT OF CONCERN
ABOUT THESE ROADS AND PEOPLE
DRIVING THROUGH THE WATER.
JUST DON'T DO T THAT IS WHAT
EMERGENCY MANAGERS ARE SAYING.
DON'T DO IT.
>> BACK TO YOU.
>> IT IS OKAY TO LOSE THINGS.
CAN YOU THE LOSE YOUR LIFE