Roanoke Rapids mayor declares state of emergency after storms cause major damage
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT
IF YOUR KIDS SAFE. GOOD
EVENING. THANK YOU FOR JOINING
US TONIGHT. I'M JULIAN GRACE.
WE START RIGHT HERE. SEVERE
WEATHER RIPPED THROUGH PARTS
OF OUR AREA OVERNIGHT. ONE OF
THE AREAS HIT THE HARDEST WAS
ROANOKE RAPIDS.
>> TODAY THE TOWN DECLARED A
STATE OF EMERGENCY WRAL'S WILL
AGAIN, ALI SHARES AN UPDATE ON
THE CLEANUP EFFORTS TONIGHT.
I SPOKE TO THE MAYOR OF ROANOKE
RAPIDS CITY TELLS ME THAT THIS
STORM CAME THROUGH STRONG AND
FAST.
>> HE TELLS ME THEY HAVEN'T
SEEN STORM DAMAGE LIKE THIS
SINCE HURRICANE ISABEL IN 2003.
>> DOWNED TREES AND POWER LINES
IN THE ROAD. THIS IS THE DAMAGE
LEFT BEHIND AFTER SEVERE
WEATHER RIPPED THROUGH ROANOKE
RAPIDS TODAY. THE LOCAL
GOVERNMENT DECLARING A STATE
OF EMERGENCY. AND, YOU KNOW,
WE HAVE DIFFICULT TIMES YOU
EMERGE AS A STRONGER COMMUNITY.
PEOPLE HELPING EACH OTHER AND
HELPING US GET THROUGH THIS,
WHICH WE WILL GET THROUGH THIS.
ALSO, ACCORDING TO TOWN
OFFICIALS, DAMAGE FROM FRIDAY'S
STORM HAS ENDANGERED THE LIVES
SAFETY, HEALTH AND WELFARE OF
RESIDENTS. HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE
ARE STILL WITHOUT POWER TO KEEP
EVERYONE SAFE. MAYOR EMORY
DOWDY IS URGING PEOPLE TO STAY
HOME. CURFEW WILL RUN FROM
11:00PM UNTIL 6 AM EACH DAY
UNTIL FURTHER. NOTICE THE STATE
OF EMERGENCY HERE BY
DISCOURAGES THE TRAVEL, PUT ANY
PUBLIC STREET WILL ALLY WITHIN
THE CITY LIMITS. DEBRIS IS
SCATTERED ALL AROUND THE AREA.
JEFFERSON STREET EXPERIENCE
SOME OF THE WORST DAMAGE.
CHELSEA GRAZER WAS INSIDE HER
HOME WITH HER KIDS WHEN THE
STORM HIT. SHE TELLS WRAL
THEY'RE LUCKY TO BE ALIVE.
>> HE WAS SCREAMING FOR ME AND
I COULDN'T LOCATE HIM. YES,
AND SO HE MADE IT OUT. MY WHOLE
THING WITH GET OUT. I NEED YOU
TO GET OUT AND AWAY FROM THE
HOUSE AND HE DID. CITY
OFFICIALS TELL ME IT COULD TAKE
DAYS BEFORE IT'S BACK TO
BUSINESS AS USUAL HERE IN
ROANOKE RAPIDS. BUT FOR
RESIDENTS LIKE GRILLS OR IT'S
GOING TO TAKE MUCH LONGER
>> GOOD NEWS IS THAT THERE WERE
NO REPORTED INJURIES IN THAT
STORM, ALTHOUGH SOME POWER HAS
BEEN RESTORED TO THE AREA THAT
11:00PM CURFEW STILL STANDS