Parts of Craven County remain under water

Seven roads remained flooded in Vanceboro on Monday, county Emergency Services Director Stanley Kite said. Officials said they think the waters will recede by Friday.

The only way in and out of Streets Ferry Road on Monday was by boat. Jonathan Jones, 16, spent a day off school boating in his front yard.

Between 60 and 80 homes in Vanceboro were damaged by high water.

Pete Strickland, also of Vanceboro, said flood waters reached  up to 2 feet in his storage shed, where he keeps his boat and tractors.

"It could have definitely been worse than it is," Strickland said.

Homeowner Donald Lilly said without a big insurance payment to cover the loss of his home, he doesn't know what he'll do.

Lilly's father, Jason Lilly, is also dealing with a flooded home. After experiencing flooding from Hurricanes Floyd and Hazel, Jason Lilly said he is used to it.

"You can't stop Mother Nature. You just take it like it comes, whether it's good or bad," he said.

Kite said the county is hoping to receive a federal disaster declaration, which would allow affected residents to apply for aid from the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency. That money could be used for everything from renting to rebuilding.

County assessment crews were viewing damage in the area on Monday. State assessment crews would be visiting sites on Tuesday, Kite said. 

Anyone in Craven County who hasn’t reported damage should contact county officials at 252-636-6151, Kite said.

Chrissy Pearson, a spokeswoman for Gov. Beverly Perdue, said 19 counties have requested government assistance following the flood.

"First thing this morning I made the call to secure state funds to match any federal funds that are approved for qualifying counties. We are ready to help the people of eastern North Carolina as they begin to clean up, recover, and move forward," Perdue said in a statement on Monday.

Pearson said it is too early to tell if any parts of the state will qualify for aid. A decision could be made by the end of the week.