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Army Corps Of Engineers To Study Town To Prevent Flooding

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PRINCEVILLE, N.C. — Nearly six years after Hurricane Floyd nearly destroyed Princeville, the town is still rebuilding.

This week crews from the Army Corps of Engineers will tour Princeville looking for possible problem areas as part of an on-going project to prevent the town from flooding again.

Hurricane Floyd flooded the Tar River in 1999 putting the entire town under water and destroying homes, schools and businesses.

Instead of taking federal buyout money, town leaders decided to rebuild Princeville on its original site, which included rebuilding and reinforcing the dike that separates the town from the river.

The Army Corps is continuing to study the dike and other potential factors to try to prevent flooding like that in 1999 from ever happening again. It is also looking at issues such as whether the dike should be extended or raised and if nearby highways should be raised.

Depending on its results, which are at least a year away the Army Corps said, more federal money could be spent to help Princeville rebuild.

Since 1999, the town has already received millions in state and federal funds to rebuild.

The town has come a long way in nearly six years, but there are still some homes and businesses boarded up and standing.

Town manager Sam Knight said local leaders are still trying to come up with enough money to erase all the scars.

"It's frustrating," Knight said. "And hopefully we'll be able to remedy some of those things in the near future."

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