LUMBERTON — More than 100 volunteers are feverishly stuffing as many as 5,000 sandbags that will be used to form a barricade at the CSX intersection with Interstate 95 through which the Lumber River’s water flowed during Hurricane Matthew to swamp West and South Lumberton.
Sen. Danny Britt said efforts had been underway for two days that involved the Governor’s Office and the N.C. Emergency Management Office to secure permission to place the sandbags on the CSX right-of-way under the bridge at I-95. By the time it was received, 4,000 sandbags that the city had ordered were gone. The state provided 5,000 empty sandbags and Britt said he worked to recruit volunteers to stuff the bags with sand provided by the city.
More volunteers are needed, and they can help at West Lumberton Baptist Church at 2320 W. Fifth St.
The sandbags were to be trucked to the intersection off West Fifth Street so the stacking could began. The timing of that was unclear when this was being written.
City officials are saying that flooding on the level of Hurricane Matthew is possible, and they are working to minimize the damage. That included fortifying the water plant, an effort that began on Tuesday and concluded on Wednesday, and included the building of a makeshift berm.
Rain estimates for Robeson County shot up dramatically in the last few days, putting city officials in a catchup mode. Estimates currently range from 15 to 40 inches through Saturday when Florence is expected to finally move on.
