Cumberland County residents reflect on hurricane flooding as Fiona slams Puerto Rico

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — Hurricane Fiona has killed at least five people across the Caribbean, cut power and water service for most of Puerto Rico’s 3.1 million residents and left more than 1 million without running water in the Dominican Republic. 

The images of the storm’s devastating impact brought back memories of hurricanes Florence and Matthew for residents of Cumberland County still rebuilding and recovering.

William Bullock has lived in his home, in a flood risk zone in a home built by Habitat for Humanity on Wilmington Road across from Walker-Spivey Elementary School, for 18 years. Flood waters from Hurricane Florence rushed all into his home, which caused damage into his entire home. 

“When they did the remodeling and everything, they went ahead and gutted the whole house out,” he said.

After that, he had to stay in a Fayetteville hotel for about a year.

“It is hard to get yourself situated,” he said. “You don’t know how you’re going to wake up the next morning, take a bath, if you’re going to eat.”

The Cape Fear River running through Cumberland County puts many communities at high risk of flooding.

It took a while for Bullock to get help.

“There was a lot of people over here in the same situation,” he said.

Cumberland County residents say they are praying for people in the Caribbean who are going through what they went through.