McCrory: Floodwaters claim two more lives
NORTH CAROLINA AT 22.
GOVERNOR McCRORY IS HOLDING
ANOTHER UPDATE NEWS CONFERENCE
AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, --
AT EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.
LET'S LISTEN IN.
>> I CANNOT PRAISE THEM MORE.
WE HAVE NOT HAD A LOSS OF LIFE
IN A TOWN THAT IS TOTALLY
UNDERWATER AT THIS POINT IN
TIME.
AND IT IS PROBABLY AROUND 10 TO
12 FEET FROM WHAT I SAW IN
CERTAIN AREAS OF PRINCEVILLE.
AND THE MAYOR JUST WENT OUT ON
A BOAT, TO SEE WHAT HIS CITY
LOOKS LIKE, HIS TOWN LOOK LIKE
FOR THE FIRST TIME.
AND, THIS MAN IS A STRONG,
STRONG MAYOR.
HE SAYS THIS CITY IS GOING TO
COME BACK.
AND I'M GOING TO SEE HIM
TOMORROW MORNING AND WE WILL
SEE FIRSTHAND ON THE GROUND THE
CONDITIONS., THE WATER ROSE
VERY RAPIDLY, ABOUT A FOOT THIS
MORNING.
AND NOW IT IS 10 FEET AND ABOVE
MANY, MANY ROOFS, OF MANY
RESIDENTIAL HOMES, INCLUDING
MOBILE HOMES.
SO, IT IS THE WORST CONDITIONS
AND MAYBE EVEN WORSE THAN WHAT
WE SAW IN LUMBERTON.
AND AGAIN, THESE ARE TWO CITIES
100 MILES OR MORE AWAY FROM
EACH OTHER.
THIS IS HOW WIDESPREAD THE
HURRICANE IS IMPACTING NORTH
CAROLINA.
AGAIN, I CANNOT TELL YOU HOW
PROUD I AM OF EDGECOMBE COUNTY.
AND THE ENTIRE REGION, FOR
MAKING SURE THE RESIDENTS DID
EVACUATE.
I WANT TO PRAISE THE RESIDENCE
FOR TAKING THE EVACUATION ORDER
SERIOUSLY AND DOING WHAT'S
RIGHT.
PRINCEVILLE SALLY HAS A HISTORY
OF THIS BECAUSE DURING
HURRICANE FLORIDA, -- HURRICANE
FLOYD, THE CITIZENS WERE GIVING
-- GIVEN NO WARNING.
BUT WE DID ADVISE THEM TO
EVACUATE AND THEY JUST DID AN
OUTSTANDING JOB OF DOING JUST
THAT.
AGAIN, I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW
MUCH MORE I APPRECIATE THEIR
LEADERSHIP.
IN EDGECOMBE COUNTY, THERE ARE
SIX SHELTERS OPEN WITH 362
OCCUPANTS, AND THESE NUMBERS
ARE EXPECTED TO RISE IN THE
COMING DAYS.
AND WE ARE GOING TO DO
EVERYTHING WE CAN TO HELP THESE
PEOPLE IN THE SHELTERS IN
EDGECOMBE COUNTY, ALL SIX
SHELTERS DO HAVE POWER, FOOD,
WATER, HEALTHCARE, COTS AND
BLANKETS.
I WANT TO REALLY THANK THE
AMERICAN RED CROSS AND
DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES
WHO ARE ALSO ON-SITE IN THE
SHELTERS.
WE HAVE ALSO SENT ADDITIONAL
RESOURCES TO EDGECOMBE COUNTY
IN PREPARATION OF FLOODING
INCLUDING 50 NATIONAL GUARD
TROOPS, WITH 25 HIGH WATER
VEHICLES.
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THERE IS
NO LOOTING OR PEOPLE STEALING
FROM THESE VACANT HOMES.
AND ALSO STATE HIGHWAY PATROL
TROOPERS, SWIFT WATER RESCUE
TEAMS IN SEVERAL LOCAL
EMERGENCY MANAGERS WITH FOOD,
WATER, COSTS AND SUPPLIES.
WE WILL BE WITH YOU AND WILL DO
EVERYTHING WE CAN.
TO HELP YOU BUILD THE CITY.
AND ALSO, STEPS NEED TO BE
TAKEN WHERE THIS WON'T HAPPEN
AGAIN IN THE FUTURE.
AND WE'LL BE WITH YOU IN THAT
FIGHT ALSO.
I WANT TO ALSO COMPLEMENT AS I
DID EARLIER TODAY, MAYORS TJ
MURPHY AND MAYOR CHUCK ALLEN,
THE WATER IS STILL RISING IN
KINSTON, GOLDSBORO, THE WATER
IS RECEDING BUT WE STILL SAW A
LOT OF BUSINESSES AND HOUSES
UNDERWATER.
AND, THEY HAVE GOT QUITE A
CHALLENGE.
THE TOWN'S CENTER IS FREE FROM
ANY DAMAGE.
AND RIGHT NOW, I THINK THE
SEWER SYSTEM IS OKAY, WATER
SEWER SYSTEM.
CHERRY HOSPITAL SEEMS TO BE
PROTECTED AND WE ARE VERY
PLEASED WITH THAT.
NORFOLK SOUTHERN RAILROAD IS
CLOSED AND HAS BEEN FOR SEVERAL
DAYS IN THE GOLDSBORO AREA.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO THANK
GOLDSBORO SOUTHERN FOR HELPING
WITH THE TRACKS AS WELL.
THERE ARE ALSO INCREDIBLE
VOLUNTEERS WHO WITH BOTH ARE
TAKING HAY TO FARMERS TRAPPED
IN THE WATERS, BY THE WATERS
BUT THEY ARE ON AN ISLAND.
THERE ARE EFFORTS TO CONTINUE
TO FEED THE LIVESTOCK.
RIGHT NOW THERE ARE PIGS
WALKING THROUGH CERTAIN
NEIGHBORHOODS, AND IT IS A
SURREAL EXPERIENCE TO SEE THIS
HAPPENING WITH THE BEAUTIFUL
SUN SHINING DAY.
ALSO SADLY IN GOLDSBORO, THE
FIRST RESPONDERS ARE HAVING TO
DEAL WITH A GRAVEYARD IN WHICH
SOME OF THE CASKETS ARE COMING
UP OUT OF THE GROUND.
I THINK THEY HAVE REMOVED 10 TO
20 CASKETS AND TAKEN THEM AWAY.
BUT IT WAS JUST A SURREAL
EXPERIENCE TO SEE THAT ALSO.
AGAIN, I WANT TO THANK THE
FIRST RESPONDERS AND EMERGENCY
WORKERS IN GOLDSBORO WHO HELPED
WITH THAT AND RESPECTED THAT
SITUATION.
VERY DIFFICULT TO SEE CASKETS
IN THE WATER.
I WANT TO LET YOU KNOW IN
ADDITION TO THE OUTSTANDING
WORK THAT LEADERS HAVE DONE IN
PRINCEVILLE, I'M HAPPY TO
REPORT THAT ASSISTANCE IS
AVAILABLE FOR PEOPLE IN SIX
COUNTIES, JONES AND GATES
COUNTIES ARE ELIGIBLE FOR
INDIVIDUAL PUBLIC ASSISTANCE
AND IN HYDE, DARE AND DUPLIN
COUNTIES THEY CAN APPLY FOR
ASSISTANCE AS INDIVIDUALS.
THAT'S VERY GOOD NEWS.
THE ROADS IN EDGECOMBE COUNTY,
A LOT OF THEM ARE CLOSED.
I FLEW OVER THEM A COUPLE OF
HOURS AGO, MULTIPLE PRIMARY AND
SECONDARY ROADS ARE CLOSED IN
MOST PARTS ESPECIALLY NEAR THE
RIVER.
WE HAVE TWO CLOSURES, NC-33 IN
TARBORO.
I WANT TO REALLY THINK THE
PEOPLE OF TARBORO.
THEY ALSO HAVE FLOODING, NOT
NEARLY AS BAD AS PRINCEVILLE
BUT THE PEOPLE OF TARBORO ARE
HELPING THE PEOPLE OF
PRINCEVILLE.
THE MAYOR WAS VERY
COMPLIMENTARY OF EDGECOMBE
COUNTY, THE PEOPLE OF TARBORO,
FOR WORKING TOGETHER.
THEY ARE IN A SHELTER THERE,
AND, THE MAYOR MADE A SPECIAL
POINT OF SAYING THEY ARE TAKING
CARE OF OUR CHILDREN AND EVEN
GIVING THEM ENTERTAINMENT
ACTIVITIES.
THE SPIRIT OF THAT MAYOR JUST
MOVED ME TREMENDOUSLY AND I
LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING HIM
TOMORROW.
NC-97 IS CLOSED WEST OF
TARBORO, THE NORTH SIDE OF NC-
111, AND NEAR THE TOWN OF
PRINCEVILLE IS CLOSED.
US-258 IS IMPASSABLE, IN BOTH
DIRECTIONS BETWEEN NC-97 AND
NC-122 AND IS CLOSE NORTH OF
TARBORO BETWEEN LAWRENCE AND
PRINCEVILLE.
US-64 YOUR TARBORO IS CLOSED IN
BOTH DIRECTIONS AND DRIVERS
AGAIN NEED TO BE AWARE THAT YOU
CANNOT RELY ON YOUR GPS
SOMETIMES THE GPS MIGHT JUST
TAKE YOU INTO MORE FLOODWATERS.
CALL 511 OR VISIT
WWW.READYANDSEE.ORG FOR THE
LATEST CLOSURE UPDATES.
WE ARE NOW DOWN TO 43,753 POWER
OUTAGES FROM ACROSS THE STATE,
FROM A PEAK OF OVER 800,000,
ALMOST 900,000 POWER OUTAGES.
SADLY, SOME OF THESE POWER
OUTAGES THAT WERE IN AREAS THAT
SUFFER THE MOST, PRIMARILY
ROBISON COUNTY AND OF COURSE
PRINCEVILLE IS TOTALLY SHUT
DOWN.
BUT NO ONE IS LIVING THERE AT
THIS POINT IN TIME, MOST OF THE
PEOPLE ARE IN SHELTERS OR WITH
LOVED ONES AWAY FROM THE DANGER
AT THIS POINT.
ALSO THE WATER SEWER SYSTEM HAS
BEEN SHUT DOWN, IN PRINCEVILLE,
I TALKED TO THE MAYOR THERE,
THEY DID THAT A DAY OR TWO AGO.
THAT WAS A VERY, VERY SMART
MOVE AND WE ARE HOPING THE
WHOLE WATER SYSTEM IS PRESERVED
AND CAN BE TURNED BACK ON
WITHIN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.
BUT WE WILL HAVE A LOT OF WORK
TO DO IN PRINCEVILLE.
A LOT OF WORK, A LOT OF
RECOVERY.
WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO REBUILD
A TOWN.
AND I JUST WANT TO URGE ALL
NORTH CAROLINIANS FROM
ASHEVILLE TO CHARLOTTE, TO THE
TRIAD, ALL THE WAY DOWN TO
RALEIGH, WHO ARE, YOU KNOW, I
WAS JUST TO A HELICOPTER 50
MILES AWAY FROM PRINCEVILLE
WHICH IS TOTALLY UNDERWATER,
PEOPLE ARE PLAYING GOLF ON THE
BAY.
THAT'S ALL GOOD.
BUT THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS,
WE NEED YOU TO HELP RIGHT NOW
AND WE NEED YOU TO MAKE
DONATIONS TO THE NORTH CAROLINA
DISASTER RELIEF FUND, FOR
HURRICANE MATTHEW, TO SUPPORT
LONG-TERM RECOVERY EFFORTS.
WE NEED THAT MONEY AS QUICK AS
POSSIBLE.
A LOT OF THESE INDIVIDUALS ARE
GOING TO NEED EXTRA MONEY, NOT
JUST WHAT GOVERNMENT CAN GIVE
TO THEM.
I ALSO AGAIN WANTED TO
COMPLEMENT REPRESENTATIVE
BOULES AND FAIRCLOTH, AND OUR
STORM RESERVES THE SECOND.
IF WE NEED TO GO TO
LEGISLATURE.
WE WILL LET YOU KNOW WHEN WE
NEED TO DO THAT.
WE DON'T SEE ANY IMMEDIACY IN
THAT NEED, THE FEDERAL AND
STATE GOVERNMENTS ARE WORKING
VERY CLOSELY WITH THE RESERVES
THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE IN BOTH
D.O.T.
FUNDS AND OTHER FUNDS.
I'M ALSO GETTING SOME
INCREDIBLE COMPLIMENTS FROM
SOME GREAT WORK FROM DHHS AND
HELPING SOME PEOPLE, AND WE ARE
STILL WORKING ON MEDICINE
ISSUES.
AND ALSO, THERE IS PROBABLY
GOING TO HAVE TO BE AN ISSUE
MAYBE IN JANUARY, WE ARE STILL
LOOKING AT THE RULES.
FAYETTEVILLE, BECAUSE THEY
STILL HAVE TWO SCHOOLS
UNDERWATER, THERE ARE GOING TO
HAVE TO BE LEGISLATIVE ISSUES
TO DEAL WITH.
WE WILL WAIT UNTIL JANUARY.
I'M STILL LOOKING AT WHAT
POWERS I HAVE REGARDING SCHOOL
DAYS FOR THOSE AREAS IMPACTED.
BUT THERE IS PROBABLY NO WAY
SOME OF THESE AREAS ARE GOING
TO MAKE UP THE NUMBER OF SCHOOL
DAYS BASED UPON THE EXPERIENCE
THAT THEY ARE GOING THROUGH
RIGHT NOW, ESPECIALLY IN ABOUT
EVERY COUNTY THAT IS UNDER
EMERGENCY ORDER AT THIS POINT
IN TIME.
WITH THAT, THAT IS THE LATEST
INFORMATION AND I THOUGHT IT
WAS NECESSARY TO TELL YOU ABOUT
THIS BECAUSE WHAT HAPPENED IN
PRINCEVILLE HAS HAPPENED VERY
QUICKLY.
WE DO ANTICIPATE THAT, BUT WHEN
YOU SEE IT YOU'VE GOT TO
BELIEVE IT.
I LIKE TO GO AHEAD AND SHOW A
VIDEO RIGHT NOW OF PRINCEVILLE,
AS OF ABOUT THREE HOURS AGO
THAT ONE OF MY PHOTOGRAPHERS
TOOK.
IT IS ABOUT A ONE MINUTE VIDEO.
>> GOVERNOR PAT McCRORY WITH
THE LATEST, THE DEATH TOLL IN
NORTH CAROLINA IS NOW AT 22,
TWO MORE DEATHS REPORTED TODAY,
ONE FLOODING IN MOORE COUNTY
WHERE SOMEONE DRIVING DROVE
AROUND A BARRICADE, ENDED UP
DEAD, ANOTHER IN ROBISON
COUNTY, WHERE A MAN WAS WALKING
AND FELL INTO A HOLE THAT WAS
LEFT BY THAT GAPING HOLE WHERE
A TREE WAS TOPPLED.
>> ALSO TALKING ABOUT WHAT HE
SAW, HE SAID IT MAY ACTUALLY BE
WORSE THAN LUMBERTON.
WHAT STRUCK ME AS HE SAID THIS
MORNING THE WATER WAS UP ABOUT
A FOOT AND BY THE END OF IT
TODAY OR AS OF RIGHT NOW, IT IS
ALREADY UP TO NINE FEET.
IT HAS RISEN EIGHT FEET.
>> EXPECTING TO TO BE THE
WORST.
RIGHT NOW, THE TAR RIVER, MIKE
MAZE TELLING US AT 36 FEET,
NORMAL A 17.
SO, OVER TWICE THE NORMAL
HEIGHT OF THE WATER.