Raleigh residents use generators to pump out flood waters

As of 5 p.m. Wednesday, about 1,200 people remained without power in Wake County.
Posted 10/12/2016, 11:00:55 PM Updated 9/23/2025, 7:51:31 PM

CREWS HAVE MADE PROGRESS IN

RESTORING POWER ACROSS THE

STATE.

BUT THE LAST UPDATE SHOWS

92,000 CUSTOMERS STILL IN THE

DARK.

HELLO AND THANK YOU FOR JOINING

US.

UP A GERALD OWENS.

>> I'M DEBORAH MORGAN.

LOYAL IS WITH OUR STORM RELIEF

PHONE BANK AND WILL JOIN US IN

JUST A MOMENT.

KATHRYN BROWN JOINS US LIVE ON

KING CHARLES ROAD NOW WITH THE

LATEST ON THE POWER OUTAGES.

KATHRYN?

>> Reporter: WELL, I HAVE SOME

GOOD NEWS.

THE NUMBER OF POWER OUTAGES

HERE SPECIFICALLY IN WAKE

COUNTY HAS BEEN GOING DOWN

STEADILY THROUGH CROWD THE DAY

A ANOON, THERE WERE ABOUT 5200

OUTAGES.

I JUST CHECK AD MOMENT AGO AND

THAT NUMBER DOWN TO 1200

OUTAGES.

A LOT OF THESE POWER LINES THAT

ARE STILL INVOLVED ARE STUCK

UNDER THESE HUGE TREES AND

POWER OFFICIALS TELL ME THAT IS

THE SINGLE GREATEST CHALLENGE

FACING THEIR CREWS RIGHT NOW.

>> WE PUMPED OUT ABOUT 600

GALLONS OF WATER.

I HAVE ANEVER SEEN SO MUCH

WATER.

>> Reporter: LISA BURR NET IS

STILL CATCHING HER BREATH AFTER

RACING FLOOD WATERS TO SAVE HER

BASEMENT I DON'T YOU PUT

EVERYTHING UP OFF THE FLOOR AS

HIGH AS CAN YOU GET IT.

AND ALL YOU CAN DO IS SIT BACK

AND GO OH, MY GOD, I CAN'T

BELIEVE THIS, I CAN'T BELIEVE

THIS.

AND YOU ARE PANICKING.

>> Reporter: THIS TREE IN THE

FRONT YARD TOOK DOWN THAT YOU

ARE POWER DURING THE HEIGHT OF

THE STORM A GENERATOR SUPPLIED

ENOUGH POWER TO PUMP OUT THE

WATER THAT KEPT FLOODING IN.

>> IT WAS SO MUCH PRESSURE!

IT CAME OUT -- SO THE CRACKS IN

THE COP CRETE.

IT STARTED SEEPING UP, ALL THAT

WATER.

IT WAS AMAZING.

AND THAN BACK HERE, I STAYED

FOR TWO DAYS PUMPING NOTHING

BUT WATER.

>> Reporter: FIVE DAYS LATER,

THE BASEMENT IS DRY BUT DAMAGED

BY MILDEW.

CLEAN-UP BILLS ARE PILING UP.

THE POWER IS BACK ON.

THE CABLE AND INTERNET,

HOWEVER, STILL OUT.

ON THE FRONT PORCH, BAGS OF

DESTROYED CLOTHE AND OFFICE

EQUIPMENT SIT REMINDERS THERE

IS STILL MUCH TO DO.

STILL, BURNETT IS SMILING

HAVING BEATEN THE FLOOD WITH A

DEFIANT END.

>> THE ONE THING THAT MAKE YOU

HAPPY IS WHEN YOU CAN COME DOWN

IN THE MORNING AND YOU SEE

WATER OVER HERE BUT THE LIKE

SUNSHINE.

IT IS ALL TROY OVER HERE.

YOU KNOW YOU'VE WON.

>> Reporter: THAT IS A GREAT

OUTLOOK, ISN'T IT?

YOU KNOW THIS FOALING WHEN YOU

GET TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THAT

FIGHT.

A LOT OF PEOPLE, THAT HAS NOT

HAPPENED.

FOR SOME, IT HAS.

1200 POWER OUTAGES REMAINING

HERE IN WAKE COUNTY.

POWER CREWS HOPING TO GET POWER

UP AND RUNNING TO EVERYONE BY

THIS WEEKEND.

AT THE RATE THEY ARE GOING

TODAY, IT COULD BE A LITTLE

SOONER THAN THAT BUT THEY ARE

STILL HOLDING STRONG AND STEADY

WITH THAT DATE SATURDAY AS THE

FINAL DATE WHERE THEY ARE

HOPING TO GET EVERYONE

RESTORED.

>> YOU HAVE TO ADMIRE HER