Princeville residents head to shelters due to flooding
WRAL NEWS AT 6:00 STARTS NOW.
>>> THE PICTURES SAY IT ALL.
WE HAVE BEEN WATCHING FOR DAYS
APPEAR ABOUT FIVE HOURS AGO,
THIS HAPPENED.
WATER FILLING THE STREETS OF
PRINCEVILLE EVEN AS THE LEVEE
REMAIN IN PLACE.
HURRICANE FLOYD NEARLY WASHED
THAT TOWN OFF THE MAP AND THIS
TIME PRINCEVILLE WAS READY, YES
IT WASN'T ENOUGH.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
I'M DAVID CRABTREE.
>> I'M DEBORAH MORGAN.
THE TOWN WAS EVACUATED DAYS
AGO.
IT WAS THE FIRST TRUE TEST OF
THE LEVEE BETWEEN PRINCE
VILLAIN TARBORO, THE ONE THE
STATE IMPROVED AFTER FLOYD.
CULLEN BROWDER CONTINUES OUR
LIVE TEAM COVERAGE FROM
EDGECOMBE COUNTY.
CULLEN?
>> Reporter: YOU KNOW, THE TAR
RIVER WAS EXPECTED TO CREST
YESTERDAY MORNING.
IT KEPT ON RISING.
THEN IT WAS EXPECTED TO CREST
OVERNIGHT.
IT JUST KEPT ON RISING PAST 36
FEET.
THE LEVY AS YOU MENNED WHICH IS
ACROSS THE RIVER DESIGNED TO
PROTECT PRINCEVILLE HELD BUT IT
STILL COULDN'T HOLD BACK THE
FLOOD WATERS.
THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT
PRINCEVILLE HOPED TO AVOID,
WIDESPREAD FLOODING SURROUNDING
HOMES, CARS AN BUSINESSES.
THE LEVEE HELD BUT IT SIMPLY
WASN'T LONG ENOUGH TO PREVENT
THE TAR RIVER FROM FLOWING
AROUND AND INTO THE HISTORIC
TOWN.
>> WE WERE HOPING THAT WE HAD
OUR TURN FOR THE NEXT HUNDRED
YEARS OR SO.
>> Reporter: COUNTY MANAGER
ERICA EVANS IS REFERRING TO
HURRICANE FLOYD IN 1999 WHICH
DEVASTATED THE COMMUNITY.
FOR NOW, THIS IS BAD BUT NOT A
REPEAT.
>> FLOYD WILL BE MUCH MORE
DEVASTATING HOPEFULLY.
YOU WAS IN FLORIDA AS WELL.
YOU HAVE OF TAKE TAKEN OUT ON A
HELICOPTER BECAUSE OF
HARDHEADED NOT LISTENING TO THE
VAC ORDER.
THANKFULLY, THIS TIME, ALL THE
CITIZEN IN PRINCEVILLE HEEDED
THE CALL TO EVACUATE.
>> Reporter: HUNDREDS OF THOSE
WHO CHEERED OUT ARE STAYING
HERE AT THE HIGH SCHOOL.
>> IT HAS BEEN HARD.
I WANT TO GO HOME.
IT HAS JUST BEEN HIKE NOT
HAVING MY KID, NO CLOTHE TO PUT
ON, NOT BEING ABLE TO TAKE A
GOOD BATH.
LIKE YOU WANT TO TAKE A GOOD
BATH.
>> Reporter: IT IS NOT JUST
PRUNESVILLE, THE TAR CONTINUES
ITS TAKE -- IT IS NOT JUST
PRINCEVILLE, THE STAR CONTINUES
TO TAX ITS TOLL.
>> SOME WILL NOT MOVE BACK.
WHERE.
>> Reporter: THAT WILL BE THE
DECISION FOR MANY IN
PRINCEVILLE AS THE COMMUNITY
TAKES ON YET ANOTHER HUNDRED
YEAR FLOOD.
I JUST GOT OFF THE PHONE WITH
THE MAYOR OF PRINCEVILLE.
HE SAYS, FOR NOW, THE WATER IS
ABOUT ONE TO THREE FEET AND HAS
NOT GOTTEN INSIDE ANY OF THE
HOMES AS OF YET.
THERE IS STILL CONCERN THERE.
EVEN WHEN THE WATER RECEDES, IT
WILL BE DAYS AT LEAST BEFORE
ANYONE IS ALLOWED BACK IN.
THEY ARE WORRIED ABOUT SEWER
AND THEY ARE OBVIOUSLY WORRIED
ABOUT SAFETY.
THROUGHOUT THE AFTERNOON, THE
TAR RIVER HAS REMAINED
RELATIVELY STEADY IN TERMS OF
ITS HEIGHT.
>> LET'S HOPE IT DOESN'T GET
ANY WORSE.