Aaron and Jenny Cavenaugh have their first batch of new
turkeys since the flood. He described an eerie silence
as the floodwaters covered his barns and drowned tens
of thousands of the Thanksgiving birds just weeks before
they were to go to market. Photograph by Rob Amberg.
As the months passed, Eastern North Carolina slowly began to return to everyday life. Families rebuilt homes or moved to new communities. Farmers replanted crops and bought livestock for the upcoming growing season. Small businesses reopened with the help of volunteer employees. Although the effort to rebuild was a long and difficult journey, storm survivors often noted that the ordeal brought the community closer. The positive energy brought into the community by volunteers was shared by residents, who helped each other clean, rebuild and recover from the storm.
