Residents worry about emergency access after being cut off by Matthew

Name: Residents worry about emergency access after being cut off by Matthew
Uploaded: 2016-10-20T22:20:00.000Z
Duration: 2 min 32 s
Description: Hurricane Matthew has forced residents in a Fayetteville neighborhood to cross a dangerous earthen dam to leave the subdivision. But now, after more than a week, residents are concerned about how they would get help in an emergency.

Hurricane Matthew has forced residents in a Fayetteville neighborhood to cross a dangerous earthen dam to leave the subdivision. But now, after more than a week, residents are concerned about how they would get help in an emergency.

Posted 10/20/2016, 10:20:00 PM Updated 9/23/2025, 7:51:32 PM

SCHEDULE.

>>> MATTHEW FORCING RESIDENTS

IN THE FAYETTEVILLE

NEIGHBORHOOD TO CROSS THE

DANGEROUS URBAN DAM, BUT WATERS

RUSHING THE ONLY ROAD INTO THE

SUBDIVISION ON SATURDAY, AND

THE RESIDENTS ARE CONCERNED

THAT THE LARGE EMERGENCY

VEHICLES WILL NOT BE ABLE TO

GET TO THEM IF THEY NEED HELP,

AND WE ARE LIVE IN THE

NEIGHBORHOOD ON WHEN THE NEW

ROAD WILL OPEN.

>> Reporter: FOR THE PAST TWO

WEEKS, THIS IS BEEN THE ONLY

WAY IN AND OUT OF HER CONDUCT,

-- ROCONDA, AND THEY SAY IT'S

SAFE SALONS THE RESIDENTS COME

ACROSS WALKING OR ONE VEHICLE

AT A TIME, BUT THE RESIDENTS

WANT TO KNOW ABOUT LARGER

EMERGENCY VEHICLES AND IF THEY

CAN CROSS.

>> Reporter: MAKING THE TRIP

THREE TIMES A DAY, ABOUT 250

RESIDENTS HAVE BEEN FORCED TO

WALK AND DRIVE ACROSS THE DAM

SINCE MATTHEW CAME THROUGH, THE

FLOODWATERS WATCHING OUT THE

DAM AT CENTRAL AVENUE, THE ONLY

WAY IN OR OUT OF THE

SUBDIVISION, AND NOW THEY DRIVE

ACROSS THE DAM ONE VEHICLE AT A

TIME, AND THEY WALK, AND ROBERT

DOES IT ONCE A DAY.

>> I GO TO THE STORE AND BUY

COUPLE OF THINGS FOR MY AUNT OR

FOR ME, AND THEN I GO BACK

HOME.

IT IS A LONG WALK BUT THAT IS

OKAY WITH ME.>> Reporter: THE

BIG CONCERN IS WHAT WOULD

HAPPEN IF THERE IS A FIRE THAT

WOULD REQUIRE LARGE TRUCKS TO

CROSS THE DAM.

>> WHETHER OR NOT THIS BRIDGE

IS ABLE TO SUSTAIN 20 TONS

GOING ACROSS IT.

>> THERE ARE A LOT OF THEORIES

AND THOUGHTS, AND SINCE THE DAM

IS COMPROMISED THEY WORRY WE

WILL NOT GET TO THEM, BUT I

STRESS WHETHER ANYBODY NEEDS

ASSISTANCE FROM THE POLICE OR

FIRE, WE WILL BE THERE.

>> Reporter: THE CITY IS

CUTTING INTO ENTRANCE TO THE

NEIGHBORHOOD, BUT WE ARE TOLD

THAT THE DAM WILL BE READY FOR

EMERGENCY VEHICLE TRAFFIC

TODAY, OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

HOPEFULLY BY THE END OF NEXT

WEEK.

>> ONCE THE REPAIRS FOR CENTRAL

AVENUE ARE ME, THIS DAM WILL BE

CLOSE TO THE TRAFFIC, AND WE DO

NOT KNOW WHEN THE NEW ROAD THEY

ARE CUTTING IN ON RAYFORD ROAD

WILL BE OPEN TO THE RESIDENTS.

>> THAT WILL TAKE A LOT OF

WORK, THANK YOU.