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Date: September 20, 1999 
RALEIGH, N.C. (UMNS) --A state of emergency remained Sept. 20 in 28 counties in North Carolina where flood waters continue to force people from homes, block road access to many towns and cities, and leave numerous areas without power, state officials say.
United Methodist Bishop Marion M. Edwards, Raleigh area, said financial contributions and work teams are needed, first for clean-up and later for rebuilding and repair. He issued a pastoral letter the day after the windy and watery onslaught from Floyd, calling on United Methodists to join him "in offering time, skills, and resources wherever there has been damage, injury, and loss."
Fred Toland, a representative with the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) met with Edwards and conference disaster response officials shortly after the hurricane went through the eastern part of the state. Floyd is the second hurricane within two weeks to hit the conference.
UMCOR has committed $100,000 to relief efforts in North Carolina and is sending 1,200 five-gallon buckets with disinfectant and other cleaning materials, vacuums for removing water and mud, power washers, and generators.
A UMCOR spokesperson said the agency also had sent an initial $10,000 grant to each of four church districts -- Wilmington, New Bern, Greenville and Elizabeth City.
Rising rivers delayed clean up on Sept. 20. Gov. Jim Hunt said he feared 1,500 people were still stranded by floodwaters. President Bill Clinton was to tour some of the worst-hit areas.
Bishop Edwards and disaster response personnel visited several devastated sites before flooded highways forced them to abandon the effort.
Four days after the storm many highways east of Interstate 95 remained flooded. Fifty Coast and National Guard helicopters have been used, along with boats, to rescue people from flooded houses. More than 4,000 are in shelters. Water in numerous counties is not drinkable.
"The need is great. We have large trees on houses. People have been driven from their homes because of flooding waters. We cannot get into some areas to assess damage and this will continue until the waters move out," said Barbara Tripp, conference disaster response chairperson.
Work teams should call the conference office at (800) 849-4433, ext. 254 for coordination. Nationally, volunteers can call the UMCOR volunteer line at (800) 918-3100.
Donations for flood relief can be made to UMCOR through Hurricanes '99, Advance #982460-1. If desired, checks can be earmarked for North Carolina and placed in church collection plates or mailed to UMCOR at 475 Riverside Dr., Room 330, New York, NY 10015. Credit card donations can be made by calling 1-800-554-8583.
Pastors at numerous churches have reported flood damage. Across the conference, United Methodists have used available resources to assist neighbors.
Members of Bethel United Methodist Church, about 25 miles west of Rocky Mount, fed people in two shelters open north of the Tar River in Pitt County. One family fed 400 people.
The conference emergency kitchen served almost 1,500 meals during the first 24 hours of operation in Wallace, a small town about 40 miles west of Wilmington. The town and surrounding communities have been without power since the storm hit. The kitchen is operated in front of the Wallace Piggly Wiggly where the owner donated or sold at below cost much of the food being served.
"We will continue to cook until we run out of food," said Roger Paxton, vice chair of the response team. "What we need are five loafs and two fish and drinkable water."
At least 100,000 swine and one million chickens and turkeys have either starved or drowned, and public health officials are concerned that carcasses could spread disease. The high waters have inundated sewer plants and the open waste-holding lagoons used by hog operations.
State estimates place the destruction higher than the worst-ever natural disaster, Hurricane Fran, which inflicted $6 billion in damages in 1996. Agricultural losses could exceed the $872 million benchmark set by Fran.
* Norton is director of communications for the United Methodist North Carolina Conference.
Source: United Methodist News Service.