Fair Bluff working to rebuild, many still in need

FAIR BLUFF, NC (WWAY) — Many towns in our area are still trying to recover from Hurricane Matthew including Fair Bluff.

Wednesday Congress allocated more than $300M to North Carolina to speed the recovery process along.

“I never seen nothing like this is my life,” resident, Albert Alford said.

It has been two months since the storm devastated the town of Fair Bluff, and many residents say they still need help.

“This town needs some financial help to get things going back because we in bad shape right now,” resident, Claude Vereen JR said.

A town once completely under water now looks like a ghost town, empty and quiet aside from the noise of construction workers cleaning up the mess left behind. A mess leaving many residents with out a place to stay or money to get back on their feet.

“Watching how a lot of people are out here struggling to make it, houses ripped apart,” Alford said.

Many businesses shut down, houses gutted, and neighborhoods left in shambles, that is what is left of the town. But despite having her house flooded, Bonnie Savage is staying positive.

“I’m just lucky to be alive, I’m happy. I mean other than that, it’s just materialistic stuff that can be replaced, I mean but hey it could have been worse,” Savage said.

Lucky for Savage she had flooding insurance, many others in the area were not as fortunate. And waiting for FEMA can be frustrating, that is why Fair Bluff Mayor Billy Hammond is asking people to be patient.

“And that’s what I ask of the people, to be patient, work with us, give us time. And we will, we will come back,” Mayor Hammond said.

Time, one of many things besides federal aid this town needs to get back to what it once was.

“We’re gonna have to pull together. I mean all colors all religions we’re gonna have to pull together. That’s the only thing that’s gonna help us. I mean fight it out, work together,” Alford said.

Thursday congressman David Rouzer said the house passed the funding bill that includes the money allocated for Hurricane Matthew relief.