Hurricane Florence’s impact was felt well inland of its Wilmington landfall. The Waccamaw River, 70 miles from the coast, overran its banks and crested at well over 20 feet. Miss Ada’s home was one of the many homes damaged in Columbus County near the river.
As the waters receded and recovery efforts began, the decision was made to not rebuild Miss Ada’s home, but to build a new home on the property. The early stages of this project involved two of our Disaster Recovery Centers. The work on the site was being supervised by the staff at the Whiteville Center, while the walls for the home were built at the Washington Center.
After the ground was prepared and the foundation laid, the next phase of the work began. Disaster Ministries was joined by a team of volunteers from North Carolina Friends Disaster Service – the Quakers. Starting from the foundation and steel plate, the NC Friends team raised the interior and exterior walls and the roof trusses – all with manual labor!
As this new home comes together, we are grateful for all of the hands and feet that made it possible. We thank the teams at our Whiteville and Washington centers, our partners from the North Carolina Friends Disaster Service and Lowe’s Home Improvement, and all of the many volunteers who continue to help eastern North Carolina rebuild and recover. Want to join us? Email disaster@nccumc.org or call our call center at 888-440-9167.