75 daily $1.

25 SUNDAY

MONDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2016 y o u r n e w s s o u r c e S i n c e 1 8 8 2 kinston, NC

pUBLIC hEARING
Kinston City Council to hold meeting,
council to vote on group home. A5
Editors note
Due to flooding conditions in the wake of Hurricane SAINTS STEAL IT
Matthew and curfews, The Free Press carriers may have
a difficult time in delivering newspapers. Continue to Saints win late, beating
check Kinston.com, The Free Press Facebook page and
Panthers 41-38. B1
download the Kinston app for updates.

Long road ahead for traffic to return to normal

Mayor: Could be
months before all
roads OKd for travel
By Bill Hand
Gatehouse Media
The rivers going down in Kinston
nearly a foot and a half overnight
but it will be a while before the
streets are dry and open to traffic,
and even longer before the city is
back to normal.
A wide washout on N.C. 55 between Sandy Bottom and Moss Hill has cut Meteorologist Hal Austin of the
off residents. The road collapsed during Hurricane Matthew flash flooding. National Weather Service in New-
Photo by Zach Frailey / The Free Press port said that the Neuse is flowing
at a 26.3-foot flood level in Kinston
about two feet less than its peak
of 28.31 feet on the 14th, a record
depth that beat the previous 1999
record of 27.7 feet following Hur-
ricane Floyd.
Austin said the river is expected
to recede from major to moderate
flood stage on the 19th, but to reach
its original levels will take quite a
number of days.
Roger Dail, Director of the Le-
noir County EOC, said that some
side roads are reopening already
but added that our main corridors
are not open. Its going to be a while
before they do.
He said U.S. 70 may be dry in two
or three more days, but even then it
wont open up right away. You still
cannot open it till DOT gets on the
road and checks everything, he
said. I can already tell you theres
going to be repair work that needs
done to it.
How much repair work?
I cant commit either way, he
said. We could get on there Tuesday
and everything looks fine (although)
I dont think so. Or we may get on
and say, Lord have mercy, weve to
shut this whole thing down.
Mayor BJ Murphy said he hopes
that something can be arranged for
See traffic A5

SUNDAY SERVICE HURRICANE AFTERMATH

The Lordll make a way

Cynthia Taylor (from left), Antoinette
Locust and Gloria Rollins pray Sunday
at River of Life Christian Center in
Kinston. Paul Stephen/GateHouse
Media

Congregations gather for praise during troubled times
By Adam Wagner
GateHouse Media
With about 40 members
either stranded in shelters
or their homes and a car-
pet that was flooded during
Hurricane Matthews storm
surge, Elder Tyrone Haney
wasnt sure St. Peter Church
of Christ would have a ser-
vice Sunday.
Nevertheless, about 65
people drove through a city
still suffering the impacts
of historic flooding to at-
tend their regular Sunday
service.
St. Peters joyful service
was shot through with re-
minders of Hurricane Mat-
thew. From mentions of how
those on food stamps could
receive emergency benefits
to Elder Tyrone Haneys
sermon that focused on the
importance of praise during
troubled times, Matthew and
its floodwaters were never
far from the congregations
mind.
It could have been me
when the tree fell. It could
have been me when the sink-
hole opened up, Haney said.
Thank you, Jesus, I made it
through the storm.
Cassandra Cummings at-
tends St. Peter every Sun-
day. Haneys words reso-
nated with her belief that if
you stay strong during hard
times, better ones will soon
come.
Hell make a way. The
Lordll make a way, Cum-
mings said. Kinstonll
make a way. It bounced
back two times from Fran
and Floyd.
Thomas Dawson, a deacon
at the church, said St. Peters
is willing to do whatever it
can to helps its members who
See church A2

NC 43
Southern Lenoir surrounded by deep water
Washed out Flooding begins to recede, levels still high
High water undermines By Michelle Taylor
Staff Writer
part of highway near The Neuse River crested at
Weyerhaeuser plant 28.31 feet Friday, and residents
on the south side of the river are
By Eddie Fitzgerald still stranded.
Gatehouse Media Many of the houses off Oak
A portion of N.C. 43 near Weyerhaeuser Bluff Road are still surrounded
washed out Saturday afternoon, and emer- by deep water.
gency personnel are warning motorists to Pam Martinez walked down
stay off the road. near the water with some of her
Stanley Kite, director of Craven County family Saturday to show her
Emergency Management, said the flood- grandchildren what the water
has done.
ing occurred when the Neuse River over
I thought maybe if they see
spilled onto River Road and tried to join
up with the rising Swift Creek. it for themselves they might
The N.C. Department of Transportation understand because they dont
was called in Sunday to put up a better understand why we cant get to
town, she said.
See road A5 Martinez said she knew many
people on the south side who
had lost their house in Hurri-
cane Floyd and have now again
lost homes following Matthew
17 years later.
I grew up in that neighbor-
hood over there by the fair-
grounds and a lot of people
we know lost everything, she
said.
Another Oak Bluff Road resi-
dent, Pat McConiga tracked
the water level with stakes in
his yard.
Its come down a lot, he Stakes planted by a resident show the high watermark at Oak Bluff
said. Road near Sandy Bottom. The Neuse River crested in this yard at 6 a.m.
Friday. Photo by Zach Frailey / The Free Press
McConiga has lived in Kin-
ston through hurricanes Fran, buildings or the house, he es were under water, but many
Floyd and now Matthew. still did not lose power or wa-
The water came up, but it said.
never came into any of the Some of his neighbors hous- See water A5

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