LUMBERTON — Anger and frustration boiled over at times on Tuesday during a meeting to discuss flooding in Robeson County caused by hurricanes Matthew and Florence.

State Rep. Charles Graham organized and moderated the event that took place in Robeson Community College’s A.D. Lewis Auditorium. More than 100 people attended to listen to and speak with members of a panel of federal, state and local administrators.

Graham said it is “time to address this critical county issue. We need to use our voices to resolve drainage problems in Robeson County.”

Graham encouraged attendees to refrain from placing blame and to seek solutions He said there needs to be a plan to address cleaning out the Lumber River and the drainage systems in the county.

Rob Price, an attorney for Drainage Districts 1, 2 and 4 in and around Lumberton, said the districts have spent $600,000 to clean ditches and canals, but far more is needed. The districts are comprised of 81 miles of canals.

“We don’t have the funds,” Price said.

After Hurricane Florence, “we are once again in the cycle to get started requesting funds,” he said.

The Army Corps of Engineers was represented at the meeting. If directed by Congress, it may study the Lumber River basin in Robeson County, but the corps does not dredge or clean out non-navigable rivers, like the Lumber River.

Building resilient communities is the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s goal, said Jerry Frye, a FEMA representative.

“People want instant action,” Frye said. “This is a marathon, not a sprint. We have to make sure what we do does not hurt someone up or downstream.”

Nothing said — even the fact of two 500-year floods in less than two years — could satisfy Jeffrey Barnes, of Prospect; Willis Brown, of Alamac; or Velton Hunt, of Hilly Branch.

“We need to do whatever it takes,” Barnes said. “Nobody has done anything in my area, ever!”

“I was standing in my dry yard after Hurricane Matthew with the sun shining when I got a call that I had to leave,” Brown said. “I’ve never seen water rise so fast. I couldn’t even save my truck or car.”

“The problem is we are all sitting back and wasting money,” Hunt said. “Millions are spent on beaches. They want to spend $5 billion on a wall, and we can’t fix this?”

All three received ovations from the audience. Hunt said he had a resolution with 1,133 signatures, and someone in the audience hollered “1,134!”

John Hendren, a District 1 Drainage District commissioner, asked everyone to “take a deep breath.”

“We’ve got everybody’s attention,” Hendren said. “The collateral ditches have not been cleaned out in 41 years. We will take care of this.”

Hendren said it will take time and money.

“I know everybody’s mad, and I’m tired of seeing my neighbors lose everything,” he said. “Give us time.”

As the discussion continued, residents of Mayfair spoke out. The older parts of the subdivision were built before the 100-year flood plain maps were adopted. Mayfair residents have joined a lawsuit against the city over flooding.

There were objections to the proposed floodgate that the city of Lumberton would install to close the Jacob Swamp Dike. Tony Smith, a Mayfair resident, said the floodgate would push water north through Mayfair to businesses and over Interstate 95 to Walmart.

“The breach in the dike saved many of us,” Smith said. “The problem is the opening under I-95 is too small.”

Smith also suggested a floodgate at I-95 and U.S. 74 to push water into diversion canals. He also suggested a weir or diversion dam and a reservoir.

Lumberton Mayor Bruce Davis, Pembroke Mayor Greg Cummings and Robeson County Board of Commissioners Chairman Raymond Cummings were among the many county and city leaders in attendance.

Rep. Graham, a Democrat, said he is hopeful help will come from a newly appointed bipartisan study committee in the North Carolina Legislature.

Velton Hunt addresses on Tuesday the panel of local, state and federal administrators that took part in a community meeting on flooding at Robeson Community College’s A.D. Lewis Auditorium.
https://www.robesonian.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/web1_Flood-1.jpgVelton Hunt addresses on Tuesday the panel of local, state and federal administrators that took part in a community meeting on flooding at Robeson Community College’s A.D. Lewis Auditorium.

State Rep. Charles Graham opens the meeting on flooding Tuesday at Robeson Community College. In the background are some of the local, state and federal officials who spoke about flooding issues in Robeson County.
https://www.robesonian.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/web1_Flood-2.jpgState Rep. Charles Graham opens the meeting on flooding Tuesday at Robeson Community College. In the background are some of the local, state and federal officials who spoke about flooding issues in Robeson County.
Events focuses on Lumber River issues

Scott Bigelow

Staff writer

Scott Bigelow can be reached at 910-644-4497 or [email protected].