Lucky few return home to Princeville
>> WELCOME HOME WERE THE WORDS
UTTERED OVER AND OVER AGAIN AS
RESIDENTS OF PRINCEVILLE
RETURNED HOME FOR THE FIRST
TIME IN NEARLY TWO WEEKS.
>> A MANDATORY EVACUATION WAS
PUT IN PLACE AFTER HURRICANE
MATTHEW, AND WE WERE THERE AS
SOME OF THE RESIDENTS GET BACK
INTO THE NORMAL ROUTINES.
>> REPORTER: WELL THE BRIDGE IN
PRINCEVILLE IS STILL SHUT DOWN
TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC, BUT A
QUARTER OF THE TOWN'S 2,000
RESIDENTS WERE ALLOWED TO TURN
BACK HOME, SOME SAYING THIS IS
THE FIRST STEP OF GETTING BACK
TO NORMAL.
THE TAR RIVER LOOKED
PRACTICALLY MAJESTIC TONIGHT.
CALL IT THE PERFECT WELCOME
SIGN FOR SOME OF PRINCEVILLE'S
WEARY RESIDENTS.
>> I SAID GOD IS GOOD BECAUSE
HE TOLD MEALED TAKE CARE OF ME,
AND -- HE'D TAKE CARE OF ME,
AND EVERYTHING IS JUST LIKE I
LEFT IT.
>> REPORTER: SHE'S THE
FORTUNATE ONES ALONG WITH HER
NEIGHBORS.
THEIR HOMES REMAINED DRIVE.
BUT YOU CAN SEE HOW NEARLY 80
PERCENT OF THE DOWN WAS UNDER
WATER FROM SKY 5. AS RESIDENTS
RETURNED, THE NATIONAL GUARD IS
STILL STANDING WATCH.
FIRST RESPONDERS ARE ON HAND
FOR ANY EMERGENCIES.
>> NO PLACE LIKE HOME!
>> REPORTER: MARY JOE WAS SO
HAPPY ABOUT RETURNING HOME SHE
WAS HUGGING JUST ABOUT ANYONE.
SHE'S LIVED HERE FOR 47 YEARS,
THE LAST FEW WEEKS MAY HAVE
BEEN THE LONGEST.
>> I WAS GOING CRAZY FOR
AWHILE.
FOR TWO DAYS I SAID NOTHING TO
NOBODY, BUT LATER ON I PULLED
MYSELF OUT OF IT AND SAID THANK
GOD BECAUSE IT COULD HAVE BEEN
THE OTHER WAY.
>> VERY BLESSED.
>> REPORTER: ACROSS THE STREET
KENNETH JONES' DAUGHTER AND
GRAND SON WERE PICKING UP
DEBRIS.
WIND DAMAGE LEFT ITS MARK
THERE.
JONES TOO IS FEELING GRATEFUL
TELLING ME HE WAS ELATED WHEN
TOWN OFFICIALS TOLD HIM HE
COULD GO BACK HOME.
>> OH, LORD HAVE MERCY I WAS
JUMPING FOR JOY.
>> REPORTER: AND SO PERHAPS IT
WAS FITTING THAT AS THE FIRST
FEW RESIDENTS RETURNED HOME, A
FAINT RAINBOW APPEARED OVER
PRINCEVILLE.
THE TOWN MANAGER SAYS THEY'RE
STILL ASSESSING THE DAMAGE, AND
OBVIOUSLY THEY WANT TO MAKE
SURE THAT IT'S SAFE FOR
EVERYONE TO GO BACK HOME, SO
THEY SAY IT COULD BE DAYINGS
BEFORE THEY LEFT -- DAYS BEFORE
THEY LET EVERYONE ELSE RETURN.
JULIA SIMS, WRAL NEWS
PRINCEVILLE.