Cumberland residents, still reeling from Florence, on alert for Michael

By Emmy Victor, WRAL reporter

A state of emergency was recently canceled for Cumberland County after Hurricane Florence pounded the area, but residents are now keeping a close eye on the forecast as Hurricane Michael approaches North Carolina.

For people who live on Bombay Drive, they are wary of the new storm since several piles of debris remain from Florence, which soaked the county and their neighborhood last month.

Locks Creek, which is near the neighborhood, overflowed its banks and flooded homes, forcing many residents to evacuate.

With Michael on the horizon, residents and businesses in Cumberland County are rearranging furniture and placing sandbags at doorsteps.

Wanda Browning of Spring Lake does not want a repeat of Florence or Matthew.

“How much more can we take?” she said. “The only thing left to take is the house itself.”

County leaders say they are closely monitoring Hurricane Michael to determine whether to issue an evacuation order or ask that shelters reopen.