Hurricane Matthew came through NC on October 8,2016. The storm dumped 18 inches of rain within 20 hours on south Eastern North Carolina. In Lumberton the Lumber River flows through the town and much of the western part of the town was flooded.
NOMADS are part of the recovery phase in Lumberton. On June 3rd Larry and I came for the first two weeks, but there will be NOMAD teams working here all summer.
We are parked at the Fairgrounds for June but may be parking at an old mobile home park that they are converting to an RV park when it is completed.
This church is the host church and where the UMCORE team is headquartered. The church has been very active in helping the town since the storm. It gave out needed supplies for weeks right after the storm. It houses groups coming to volunteer. We have our meeting room here and they have welcomed us with open arms. It is in the part of town that did not have the extensive flooding the other part of Lumberton did.
We were invited to a nice welcome dinner on Sunday night at the church. The couples on the ends
are the organizers for the recovery work. Jeff and Ann on the left have been working 24/7 and are keeping all the volunteers organized, supplied and ready to work. Next to them are Gary and Sharon. He is NOMADS Disaster response chairmen. NOMADS are being asked to help in more and more parts of the US and earlier and earlier after disasters. He has a big job getting it all organized. He is also leading for the first three weeks here in Lumberton. Ron, Becky, Scott, Kay, Larry and Dottie (plus Jo who is not in the picture) makes the team for this week.
June 5, our first day to work. We were given yellow vest to wear that say Methodist Response Team on the back.
This is the home of Mary Elizabeth where we are working . Even though it was built up it had flooding over three feet inside and they had to be rescued by boat.
Other volunteers had been here working and have most of the dry wall installed. She was so happy for her kitchen was just finished last week. They have been living upstairs in the bedrooms since December.
It is a big house with lots of rooms to be worked on.
Becky started checking for screws that needed to be put in farther.
Ron fixing some of the screws. Ron and Becky worked the rest of the week at another house installing some cabinets and fixing a concrete floor.
Kay learning how to mix mud.
Sharon doing mudding.
Kay doing mudding.
The hallway needed some repair work so Larry was working on it.
On Tuesday a new table saw arrived. Larry put it together.
After mudding comes sanding. Jo working on the sanding.
Kay working on sanding, with everyone else, even Mary Elizabeth and her daughter - in-law.
Larry framed in some pipes in the hallway. He put on the drywall with a little door so the shut off valves could be accessed.
Gary installed some corner beading where it was needed.
Scott installed a door.
the third time was a charm.
On Thursday afternoon we went to Cakes and Pastries for lunch.
The filled croissants were delicious, but we did have a very nice lunch not just sweets.
Friday Larry and I went to University of North Carolina at Pembroke to learn more about the Lumbee Indians. Very interesting history.
Saturday we took a hike on the riverwalk with Ron and Becky.
Close to the Riverwalk is the Branch Street United Methodist church. It had four feet of water in it, so they are have been working on it and it is almost completed. They have held services every Sunday back in their fellowship hall, except for five weeks right after the flood. It has more of a Lumbee congregation and we plan to attend here on Sunday.
The sanctuary is almost finished. The flood water was over the pews.
Tonight our team is going to the Carolina Civic Center Historic Theater to see Nunsense.
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