'I started crying:' Many New Bern residents have no homes to return to

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The City of New Bern is working to begin recovery after the community was pounded by the storm surge when Hurricane Florence inched toward the Carolinas.

In the Woodrow community in New Bern, the only thing still standing at the intersection of Florida and Beach streets are floodwaters.

Zack Aydelette lived in what used to be a mobile home, but he returned Tuesday to find his home split in two.

“You can’t explain it. When you’ve seen something like this and you’ve been here that long, coming back and forth, day in and day out, you can’t explain it,” he said.

For Arnold McDavid, the Trent River a few miles from his home didn’t cause as much trouble as the heavy rain.

“The rain kept coming and coming and coming with nowhere for the water to go,” McDavid said.

Four days after the storm, McDavid still needs rain boots to get around his yard.

“A day or two of pumping, it will go down,” he said.

Across Craven County, standing floodwaters are like road blocks. Most drivers are heeding the unmarked traffic signal to stop and turn around.

“Even though you can see the lines, that doesn’t mean that right past that is safe,” Jacksonville resident Austin Royal said.

While the standing waters across the county are temporary, the stress after the storm will leave a mark.

“I just sat down there and sat in my car and started crying,” Aydelette said.