For neighborhoods along the Eno River in north Durham, this week was a 1-2 punch of storms, flooding and mid-July level heat.
It all started Sunday night when some were woken up in the middle of the night by rescue teams pounding at their door. Since then, it's been touch-and-go with some taking their concerns to city and county leaders about the recent flooding.
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The Old Farm neighborhood is right on the line between city and county emergency management jurisdictions. On Monday, floodwater reached the window line of many of the homes in this low- lying community.
“Lives are what matter,” Mayor Pro Tempore Mark-Anthony Middleton said. “We can replace these things, and they will be replaced, but it's the lives that can't be replaced. We're very grateful for the preservation of life.”
Many people shared feelings of loss for their homes and belongings, but also frustration.
Robert Dean has lived nearby for the last 40 years. On Monday, he said this was the worst flooding he’s seen - topping the flooding from Hurricane Fran in 1996.
Violet Covington said she didn’t have adequate warning and she worries about her neighborhood only having one entrance. Ultimately, she wants more consideration from the people in charge.
"Not be only concerned about putting up a house to get the dollar, but be concerned about the people that’s already there," Covington said.
In the northern Durham area, some homes sit within city limits; others are in the county. WRAL News reached out to leaders from both, asking questions, including:
- Did an Alert Durham notification go out?
- What is the city and county doing to help people financially?
- What changes, if any, is the city and county considering to protect citizens in the future?
“Even the most advanced stormwater systems - which we exploit when we build new developments in Durham - can be overwhelmed by storms that we've seen, like Chantal,” Middleton told WRAL.
In addressing what ideas he has to protect people in the future, he said it takes a “macro approach.”
“We are always looking at our climate policy here in Durham, improving our stormwater infrastructure, but there are some areas that have historically just been flood areas in Durham… So those are areas that that we're always looking at,” Middleton explained. “We passed [the Equitable and Green Infrastructure bond] not too long ago where we're focusing on those areas. But it takes time, and it takes a lot of money.”
Covington is experienced flooding for the first time. Her home was not previously considered to be in a flood zone. Now, it’s considered “high risk.”
WRAL asked Middleton if he, and the council, were looking at zoning and development differently, given the stronger storms.
“Topography changes…When you have the type of storms we've been having, the city can become a flood zone,” he said.
A City spokesperson says it has floodplain regulations. Some are stricter than the state requirements. However, Middleton did not rule out evaluating the grid.
“Yeah, we can certainly look…The city grid is an old grid. There's always, in any given situation, things that can be done or things that can be improved, not just for this neighborhood, but if you look at the entire grid,” he responded. “We can always look at how we can alter our grid. But as with all things, you're always going to have differing opinions on what you should do.”
Middleton also noted the growth in the area, and the need to have adequate housing for the increased population.
“We build adjacent; we don't actually build in floodplains,” he said. “This is what it looks like when you have a city that's growing and the tension between those of us that are already here. How do we welcome those who want to be here and lessen the impact on our environment? If anybody has a magic bullet or a snap answer, I'm certainly listening.”
Durham Mayor Leonardo Williams said over text that city staff are working to put together an updated report on drainage and infrastructure.
If you need resources, you can reach out to HEART, Red Cross or crisis cleanup.