Housing

North River is Low, North River is Home

It’s been nearly two years since Hurricane Florence’s winds devastated homes in North River, a small coastal community in Carteret County, NC. But Yvonne Pittaway still isn’t home.  “Two rooms – if I can get two rooms repaired, I’m going back home.” Pittaway has been staying with her sister in Morehead City. There, as Pittaway…

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Back Street: A Neighborhood in a Bowl

“I can only imagine what my parents had to go through for that land.” Gwendolyn Brown grew up in Back Street, a long-time African American community in Trenton, NC. When you enter the neighborhood, you pull off of ‘Backstreet Road’, go down a gravel hill, and enter what Brown calls ‘a bowl.’ She is familiar…

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Hearing Stories Versus Knowing Stories

Beverly Johnson’s family bought land by the river in Trenton, NC early in the 20th century. Land ownership options then were limited for African Americans families. Inheriting land in a flood zone was not Johnson’s choice, but she does see many white families in Trenton these days choosing to buy waterfront property. Flood Zone is…

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Cheated Out of Their Homes

“I’m not against integration, but I think people are being cheated out of their homes.” Her mother’s home was condemned. Then her uncle’s. Ophelia Chambers’ family homestead has been in the same location off of Bridges Street in Morehead City, NC for at least 4 generations. In the wake of Hurricane Florence, her traditionally African…

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White Stocking Resident Still Out of Home: Hurricane then COVID-19

Jacqueline has been repairing her home from Hurricane Florence since September 2018. During those two years she has stayed with family, gone through the FEMA trailer program and then bought a travel trailer of her own – all while her home was still being repaired. Now, because of Covid-19, the nearly two-year repair process is…

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The House, It Couldn’t Breathe

It’s been nearly two years since Hurricane Florence flooded the Maple Hill neighborhood in Pender County, NC. But Arlisha Hill’s home is still far from repaired. Hill was ready to resume life as normal. She moved back into her partially repaired home this April – thinking construction would continue and she’d be living in a…

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Birthday Party

Helen Barrett from Episode 3 shares a poem she wrote about sharing a birthday with Hurricane Florence. Two years since her house flooded with three feet of water, Barrett is still not in her home. Flood Zone is a special investigation reporting on flooding in Coastal Carolina communities. Support the show (https://shoresides.org/support/)   Want to…

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First, There Was the Fire

Helen Barrett drove school buses in New Bern, NC for 25 years. In early adulthood, she saw the fire of 1922 change the landscape of her city – pushing African Americans from downtown. Now she’s seeing the same zoning patterns in the wake of Hurricane Florence. Flood Zone is a special investigation reporting on flooding…

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Get Thee Behind Satan

Fanny Irving has lived in Trenton all of her life. She lives in the home that from 1971 – 1975 she built with her late husband. First Floyd, and now Florence, have taken that home from her. Flood Zone is a special investigation reporting on flooding in Coastal Carolina communities. Support the show (https://shoresides.org/support/)  …

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Black Pockets

Eric Brown is from Back Street, a once thriving African American community named for being the opposite to downtown. Back Street has nearly been wiped out from repeated hurricane flooding. Brown built a second home to run from the water, but what will become of his family’s homestead? Flood Zone is a special investigation reporting…

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