Leland neighborhood devastated by Florence begins recovery

LELAND, NC (WWAY) —  Clothes, furniture, and decorations all destroyed and piled up beside the road. Recovery efforts are now underway in one Leland neighborhood where Hurricane Florence left many homes and property destroyed.

One of the hardest hit areas in Brunswick County, Stoney Creek Plantation, is a disaster area.

Flood waters, mixed with sewage overflow from septic tanks, has left many homes unlivable, and most of their possessions destroyed.

“Unfortunately, when houses are under water with category 3 water like this, with that septic in there too, there’s not much that’s salvageable,” said William Lynch, owner of Fire Tec Restoration.

Lynch drove down from Philadelphia to help with cleanup and mold remediation.

One thing he was able to salvage for one neighbor was an urn containing her husband’s ashes.

“She told me what room it was in, I went back there and started digging through, and I found it.”

David Blanchard lives in Stoney Creek and says he’s blessed that he didn’t suffer much damage.

He says after days of helping others, he finally had to go back to work. When he woke up the next morning, all debris had been cleared from his yard.

“This neighborhood has really come together, I mean some of them I didn’t even know, I’ve only been here two and a half years. Now we’ve gotten to know each other and we’re helping each other,” said Blanchard.

Blanchard says although so many people have lost so much, he’s trying to keep things in perspective.

“It’s really sad, but it could have been worse. It could have been a lot worse,” said Blanchard.

Lynch says contrary to popular belief, you should not use bleach for mold removal, because it will come back.

He says if your house is affected by mold, you should consult with a professional.