Spring Lake disaster specialist helps others after Hurricane Florence while struggling herself

SPRING LAKE, N.C. (WTVD) — Hurricane Florence did a number on the Sandhills.

Six months later, the aftermath keeps folks like Regina Evans busy.

“I work for hope4nc which is a state-funded program,” said Evans

The Crisis Counselor connects other Florence survivors with resources.

“Its part of my resilience to continue to help that helps me push forward,” she said.

But when she’s not helping others, she’s at her home in Spring Lake, trying to push forward from her own setback.

“My coworkers had to literally pick me up because I had a meltdown when the state told me I was denied for the rebuild program because I had too much damage,” said Evans

These days, the Evans family is struggling to rebuild; pinching pennies and pouring them into repairs.

“Every time we get a piece of money it goes in this house,” she said.

As if the financial stress wasn’t enough, she’s scrambling to finish the adoption process for her three grandkids she just took in.

“Okay I’m done with all my paperwork so now I can focus on my grandbabies and move forward but then when this happened I literally had to stop the process and go back to this again,” said Evans.

Evans is one of two neighbors on the end of her street, Dolphin Drive, that plan to return home.

Down the way, college kids are putting in new insulation for her neighbor.

Still, Evans works to hold it all together for her and her grandkids

“Where can I turn next? Where can I go next? I pray so much I should walk around with knee pads on,” said Evans

The saying goes, Mother Nature is a force to be reckoned with. But when it comes to recovering from Hurricane Florence, Regina Evans plans to put up a fight.

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