They Were Rescued During Hurricane Florence. But Now, 'Everything Is Gone'
Everything seemed okay when Elizabeth Coleman went to bed on Sunday, September 16. After evacuating three days prior to escape Hurricane Florence, her family of four and parents-in-law had just returned to their one-level, two-bedroom ranch home on Crusoe Island Road in Whiteville, N.C. It was, thankfully, undamaged.
The family had gone home after evacuating because they believed that the storm had passed and they had heard that the floodwater was receding. They thought it would be safe to return.
By 5 a.m., something was wrong.
Elizabeth woke up to find floodwaters that had risen to the second step of the porch. Two more, and it would reach the house.
When daybreak came, the water was up to the third step.
Racing the rising flood, Elizabeth and her husband Richard Coleman started grabbing whatever they could to bring with them. Richard was worried about his two young children, who
