North Carolina Remains Resilient After Hurricane Florence
The grim effects of Hurricane Florence linger in parts of North Carolina after the storm made landfall near Wrightsville Beach on Sept. 14.
While those in the western part of the state were spared Florence's wrath, the coastal area was ravaged. A record 105-mph wind guest was measured at Wilmington, N.C., airport--the fastest since Hurricane Helene hit there in 1958, CNN reported. Later that day, a 68 mph wind guest was measured in Wrightsville Beach.
Some of the HR professionals in areas bearing the brunt of the storm are members of the Lower Cape Fear Human Resource Association (LCFHRA) in Wilmington, just 12 miles inland from Wrightsville Beach. The SHRM chapter has a little more than 200 members, most of whom live and work in New Hanover County.
More than 25 inches of rain flooded Wilmington, cutting it off from the rest of the state. More than 100 roads were closed, and more than 488,500 customers lost power.
Businesses are struggling because many of their employees evacuated the area just before the hurricane, said Larry S. Valenti, SHRM-SCP. He is president of the North Carolina state council, which oversees 19 Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) chapters. He also serves as lead HR analyst at Duke Energy in Charlotte.
On Sept. 10, Gov. Roy Cooper ordered mandatory evacuations for all of the state's barrier islands, which includes Wilmington-area beaches.
"Because so many people evacuated the Wilmington area ahead of the storm—and because flooding has made it very difficult for them to return to the city—most employers are operating on severely reduced staffing levels," Valenti said. At some businesses, only 15 percent to 20 percent of the workforce is available.
"It depends on the area … some areas of town were less affected. While some companies are opening, it may be middle of next week before most are open," he said.
Florence was a Category 1 hurricane when it touched down Sept. 13, wreaking havoc across the state, where it was responsible for 27 deaths before moving northward. None of those injured or killed were LCFHRA members or their family members, Valenti said.
The chapter also operates a SHRM member service area (MSA) in Jacksonville, N.C.—52 miles north of Wilmington—for HR professionals who live and work in Onslow County. A MSA is a satellite chapter located in the geographic hub of another chapter. There were no reports of injuries or deaths among those members or their families.
[SHRM members-only toolkit: Managing Through Emergency and Disaster]
Cooper warned earlier in the week that the flooding "is far from over and will get worse in places" and asked the 100,000 evacuees not to return yet, the Associated Press reported.
Duke Energy cannot send linemen to restore power until the water recedes.
"I've heard that it may be early to middle of next week before we get all the power turned back on," Valenti said. Internet and phone communication in Wilmington "was still very spotty" on Sept. 19, and other areas around the state also are experiencing that.
'In Constant Contact'
"Essentially, everybody in [LCFHRA] is affected in one way, shape or form" by Florence, Valenti said. Most members serve in HR departments of one or two people.
Click here to read the rest of the story, including information on how donations may be made to assist people in North Carolina.