Residents of the Carolinas are still being impacted by what’s left of Hurricane Florence.
Former Emporians Vince and Sandy Hammerl rode out the storm at their home in Beacon Townes, North Carolina — about a mile from the South Carolina state line and 10 minutes from the Atlantic Ocean. Vince Hammerl says things could have been a lot worse.
Hammerl says his family went through a lot of ice and batteries with power offline for around 60 hours. He says the ceiling developed a leak and there is some roof damage.
The Hammerls stayed separate from Sandy Hammerl’s mom and brother, who also survived. Hammerl says Florence was the worst of the three hurricanes he has gone through, including Hurricane Matthew.
Florence has been responsible for nearly 20 deaths. Flooding has been a major concern along the coastline and for rivers in both North Carolina and South Carolina, but a rapidly developing issue is the potential failure of several dams due to the rising waters. Close to 600,000 homes and businesses are still without power. Wilmington, North Carolina’s eighth-biggest city, is completely cut off by floodwaters as a result of the storm.
Photos by Vince Hammerl
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