CUMBERLAND COUNTY, N.C. (WFMY) -- Inside a Cumberland County high school, buckets collect water leaking from the gym where evacuees sleep. In the lobby, recycle bins and trash baskets are also filling with water.
The shelter at South View High School serves as a haven for people evacuated from neighborhoods in Hope Mills. The city is near Fayetteville, where streets and highways are under water.
More evacuees who spoke with us Sunday said they are concerned about the men and women who use wheelchairs and canes to get around falling. Signs are posted on a door warning of a slippery floor.
Tuesday Doug Farmwald, a volunteer from Indiana with the American Red Cross, confirmed at least one person fell at the shelter. The extent of that person’s injuries was unclear.
Farmwald said staff with the school district were working to repair the roof. He said a tarp was installed to cover the exposed areas. He added now that the rain has stopped, so has the leaking inside of the building.
This prompted WFMY News 2 to ask, who is responsible for choosing shelter sites. South View was also a shelter during Hurricane Matthew.
Sally Shutt, the Assistant County Manager in Cumberland County, said County Emergency management maintains a list of schools and recreation centers as potential shelters. The American Red Cross does a shelter survey at each building and approves whether that building is sufficient enough to be a shelter Shutt added.
“We at Cumberland County Emergency management choose the site from those approved sites based on the anticipated population meeting shelter, the areas that are impacted in the county and for large-scale events such as this one we will open up shelters regionally to increase access,” she said during a phone call.
Shutt said this is the first time Cumberland County has opened eight shelters due to significant need.
“Cumberland County has opened an unprecedented number shelters,” she said. “We have opened eight.
People staying at the shelter say they are in need of clothes for infants, food and water. Farmwald echoed those sentiments, adding another issue facing residents is transportation. He said some of the evacuees do not have transportation to leave.