Hurricane Irene came and went on the eastern United States, but the slow-moving storm has left a lingering mess in some coastal areas.
It has been 10 days since Hurricane Irene passed through North Carolina. For people in the southern state, cleaning up in the wake of Irene—which brought losses to business and major damage to crops—requires round-the-clock hard work and resilient effort.
Mike Howe, owner of Blue Whale, a gas station and small market on Hatteras Island, N.C., was busy cleaning up his shop while he gave a phone interview. “About three inches of water flooded the store. Right now we are removing the bad parts of the floor.” Howe said.
Fortunately, water did not reach the shelves of Howe’s store.
Howe said, “We are cleaning up a lot right now to make sure there is no molding.” Howe said they did not have power for four days after the storm, but he was able to re-start their power with the generators he owns.
Howe said he donated his ice cream and other perishable items to the local fire department which had large freezer boxes.
He hopes to have his store cleaned up by the end of the week. “Right now, if someone needs something from the store, we can help them out even without the cash register working.”
According to Howe, a lot of money was lost due to Irene but he is not sure what the storm is costing. The store lacks air conditioning, and some of his freezers have not been tested yet. He also has limited electricity.
Lately, Howe has been too busy cleaning to calculate his losses. “We have been working steadily since Sunday. I never left the island and I would probably be stuck outside the island if I did leave,” he said.
On the Outer Banks, Hatteras Islands received the most impact from Irene. Dare County officials are only allowing residents, insurance adjusters, and emergency crews helping with cleanup, to enter Hatteras Islands and the southern part of the Outer Banks. Re-entry started on Tues., Sept. 6.
In Rodanthe, N.C., a section of Highway 12 was washed away. In a press release from the N.C. Department of Crime Control and Public Safety, N.C. Gov. Perdue stated that a temporary bridge will be set up to allow traffic in less than one month. “The N.C. Department of Transportation is working with state and federal partners to develop a long-term plan as soon as possible,” according to the press release.
Other areas of the Outer Banks, such as the north island, are ready for visitors to return to the area’s beautiful beaches. Ronnie Gray, owner of Gray’s Family Department Store in Kitty Hawk, said on the phone, “We are ready with open arms to welcome visitors back.”
Gray’s Family Department Store opened in 1948. With 63 years of history on the Outer Banks, Gray said they have been through many storms—both weather and economic. According to Gray, most property damage in Kitty Hawk was on the side facing the sound, where local residents live. “Sometimes evacuations need to be made even if we are not hit. Safety is important. If one life is saved and no serious injuries occur, then it is worth evacuating,” Gray said.
For Gray, it is all part of living on the Outer Banks; he stayed on the island to ride out the storm.
Gray’s stores were unharmed by Irene, but his wife’s parents’ home did get flooded by Irene. “The stores were shut down for a period of five days due to evacuations and the hurricane. This is an economic blow to the area.”
But according to Gray, who has 40 employees, there is a silver lining for Gray’s Family Department Store. For the past few days, Gray has received business from insurance adjusters and relief workers. “It is gorgeous here and everything is back up and running. This is a really pretty time of year,” said Gray.
Back on the mainland, farmers are suffering a major loss. According to the 2007 Census of Agriculture, Pitt County of Greenville, N.C., has 435 farms. Adam Lassiter, Field Crop Agent for Pitt County, said on the phone, “On behalf of crops in Pitt County, 85 percent of all our tobacco is damaged, second is the cotton crop with 30 to 40 percent, and soybeans about 10 to 15 percent is damaged. Peanuts will have a late and extended harvest.”
In Pitt County, 72,000 acres are used for soybean harvest, according to a 2009 census. “There has also been damage to farm structure,” said Lassiter, who added that Hurricane Irene’s damage may have a greater impact on farmers who do not have insurance.
For assistance on the Outer Banks, Interfaith Community Outreach is running a volunteer hotline, in partnership with Dare County. “We are here to help people with anything they need and send them in the right direction,” said Jennifer Albanese, executive director of the Outer Banks Interfaith Community Outreach, in a phone interview.
“If someone needs help with flooding, checking for mold, of even help with rent because they spent their money on a hotel during evacuations, we are here to help,” said Albanese.
As of Sept. 6, Gov. Perdue has made a request to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Thomas Vilsack for a prompt, major disaster declaration for 43 counties in Eastern North Carolina.
“Thirteen counties in N.C. have received a presidential disaster declaration, allowing families and business owners to seek low-interest loans or grants to help them recover from Hurricane Irene, and Perdue has also obtained public assistance for 20 eastern counties to help local governments defray the costs of storm response, debris removal, and infrastructure repairs,” stated a press release from the N.C. Department of Crime and Public Safety.
