The town's protective dike has been out of service since Hurricane Floyd. Speed officials had to choose between the buyout or repair of the earthen wall. They still hope to find the funds to fix it.
Flooding is something one Wayne County town knows a lot about. Seven Springs, which sits in the southeastern corner of the county just west of Kinston, was devastated by Hurricane Floyd's floodwaters in 1999.
Mayor Jewel Kilpatrick and other town leaders have approached the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers about building a dike along the Neuse River to prevent future flooding.
"If we could get this dike, it would save Seven Springs. That would make a lot of difference," she says.
The town has enlisted the help of U.S. Representative Walter Jones in its fight. Seven Springs will need a sponsor -- most likely another government entity -- to help foot the bill for the multi-million dollar project. If approved, it is expected to take five to seven years.
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