As I watched WCTI news anchor Valentina Wilson give a tour of the station live on Facebook on Wednesday, I felt a few bits of moisture start to well up on the inside corners of my eyes.
The storm-driven adrenaline had worn off.
No longer could I see the devastation wrought in my hometown by Hurricane Florence with nerves of steel.
I spent six and a half years of my professional career at that station before coming to Richmond County. Most of that time was as a video editor, but I also ran the sound board, rolled video, operated the teleprompter and cameras in the studio, newsroom and out in the field.
During my time there, we went through several hurricanes. The most memorable one was Irene in 2011, when I was stuck at work for three days during wall-to-wall coverage helping, in my many capacities, to give updates on the storm.
When I finally got to go home, the power was still out and I had to go to someone else’s house to take a shower.
It’s one thing to see storm damage in a place you’ve never been.
It’s quite another to see familiar places partially destroyed or under several feet of water.
My friends and I used to frequent the walkways alongside the Neuse River. I went to Union Point Park many times as a child with my grandmother and later as a teen and adult either by myself, with friends or my kiddo. (It’s a great place to go on a date … not that I’ve had many of those.) I can remember before the city fixed it up to be more appealing. I’d walk by the marina on the adjoining Trent River and try to see where all the boats were from.
I shot parts of a comedic fake documentary at Lawson Creek Park and Dawson Creek in Pamlico County. I worked on a television pilot in Morehead City and other independent movies across the region.
Just a few weeks before the storm, I took the kiddo for a nighttime drive around Bogue Banks and to the Bogue Inlet Pier, which is now missing two sections.
The last edition of my college newspaper and the first edition of the Independent Register, which I co-founded with Corey Friedman and Eric Voliva, were released after and featured coverage of Hurricane Ophelia in 2005. The next paper I worked at was in “little” Washington and parts of the county were flooded.
Growing up in Eastern North Carolina, I’ve experienced quite a few hurricanes. But Florence takes the cake.
I commented several days ago that when everything is tallied up, this may be worse than 1999’s Hurricane Floyd.
Nearly every county south of U.S. 64 and east of Interstate 85 had (or still has) some flooding problems.
I have scoured Facebook the past several days to post stories, photos or videos from the entire region affected by Florence on my personal page just to show others how widespread the damage is.
While the stories and images of the aftermath are heartbreaking, there is a ray of hope.
As often happens following disasters, people are putting aside their differences and helping each other.
Some restaurants are providing free food to those displaced and to the linemen working to restore power. Another restaurant in Craven County is temporarily hiring those who are out of work because of the storm.
Neighbors are helping each other clean up and providing shelter to those who lost their homes.
Churches in one county, even though they have their own problems, are helping residents of a neighboring county by providing food and supplies.
Former residents are coming back home, at least for a visit, and bringing essentials to help those in need.
In times of despair, humanity is often at its best.
Eastern North Carolina is resilient and has weathered many storms. This time is no different.
The recovery from Florence has begun and I have no doubt the coast will bounce back better than before.
William R. Toler is a reporter for the Richmond Observer.
