Life Stories and Beyond

Lake Waccamaw rising

Neighbors backyard and pier, Lake Waccamaw

Neighbor’s side yard is a lake

Lake Waccamaw rising

After storm before flooding

By Lisa Batten Kunkleman

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. They also say writers should use their words to show, not tell. These pictures of our family’s house at Lake Waccamaw, NC  and all the Facebook photos and videos, plus news reports speak volumes about the unpredictability of flood waters. Lumberton, my hometown of Whiteville, and many other areas of North Carolina struggle to wade out of the flooding even as some rivers haven’t crested yet. After the fierce winds and fallen trees left trails of destruction, even now, days later, rivers continue to rise. After the hurricane passed, the sun shone brightly and it seemed the worst was over. Property appeared fine one day, flooded the next, then fine, then flooded. The same applies to the roads so many people are using to get home to see how their lives will change. Or not. Others attempt to get to events they’ve been planning to attend for months. Like weddings or family reunions only to be blocked on road after road that is either flooded, washed out, or unsafe to use. Some need to get through quickly due to sudden events like sickness or death. The storm is long gone but the remnants of Matthew will be worked through for months to come.

Special thanks to all the super heroes who take time out to assist and keep disaster areas as safe as possible.