LUMBERTON — Arnold Walker Jr. and many of the more than 200 people who sought refuge Thursday in the Red Cross shelter at Lumberton High School in the first hour after the shelter opened had the events of Hurricane Matthew from two years ago on his mind.
“I didn’t know how much water I was going to get in my house, that’s why I’m here,” he said. “I wanted to make sure I have a spot.”
Walker lives on West Fifth Street in Lumberton, and decided to get into the shelter early as the winds picked up Thursday ahead of Hurricane Florence’s anticipated landfall on Friday.
“The water didn’t get up to the house, but the yard was full off water,” Walker said of Hurricane Matthew. “This is going to be a much stronger storm with 5 to 10 inches of water. If it’s more than 12 inches, it’s in the house.”
Faye Lovell, director of the shelter at Lumberton High School, said that Walker was one of many coming to seek shelter.
“People are afraid. They are afraid of getting wet and are going to come to our shelters,” Lovell said. “They are taking precautions early. … When the winds start picking up, I’m sure more people will come in. They are battening down the hatches today.”
The 218 people who came in the first two hours after the shelter opened brought pillows, cushions and bags of clothes. Lovell said she believes the shelter would have no problem reaching the 300-person capacity before the end of the day. She estimates the shelter will be open for 72 hours.
“It’s according to how bad the storm gets,” she said. “We are just asking people to bring what they need to survive the 72 hours.”
Lovell, finance officer with the Robeson County Department of Social Services, is familiar with the disaster caused by Matthew because she was the shelter director at the Bill Sapp Recreation Center for 11 days.
The shelter at Fairmont Middle School had a slow start Thursday, but a busload of people arrived about 9 a.m.
“It was kind of slow this morning,” said Sandra Cox, a shelter shift manager. “We had about 10 to 15 people in. More folks had been coming by to see if we were open and ask what they could bring. We suggest they bring sleeping bags, pillows, anything that can make them feel comfortable.”
Fairmont resident Savannah Gaddy was sure to make herself comfortable. She came with four suitcases, bedding and a cooler with drinks and sandwiches.
“I was afraid to stay at home,” Gaddy said. “It may flood, and the wind will come and blow my mobile home away.”
Gaddy said she wasn’t afraid during Hurricane Matthew, but she won’t make the same mistake twice. When she found out the hurricane was a Category 4, she made plans to stay at a shelter. The storm was a Cat 2 this morning.
“My daughter lives right across the street,” Gaddy said pointing to the house. “If I want a hot meal, I can walk over if they still have power.”
Nelga Ford said he learned from Matthew not to ride out the storm.
“I live out in the country,” Ford said. “My trailer is 38 years old.”
Ford said she and her daughter lives in a trailer park, down a dirt road, near Centerville Church. She has pine trees along the back of her property. Hurricane Matthew caused permanent damage to the home, and Ford said she wasn’t confident that it would make it through Florence.
“It (Matthew) bent it down in the corner where the winds were blowing it so hard,” Ford said. “During that time, the wind wasn’t blowing so long. This time, they said it will be steady going.”
She’s trying to laugh about it, or she may cry, Ford said. She didn’t think about gathering the photos along her wall, but lives are more important.
“It may not be there when I get back, but God is in control,” she said. “We’re gonna pray everything will be all right.”
Sandra Cox said the shelter should be looked upon as a second home.
“We’re open to anyone that wants to come in,” Cox said. “If we can’t meet your needs — that’s your special needs — than we have provisions. We can send you elsewhere.”
Shelters also are set up at Purnell Swett and St. Pauls High schools. More than 400 people total had sought shelter at the four of the by noon on Thursday.
