Nearly seven years after devastating damage from Hurricane Matthew and Hurricane Florence, the long-awaited restoration of the White Oak Dike system in Kelly, North Carolina, is officially underway.
The historic dike, which has served as the community’s primary protection from the Cape Fear River for more than a century, was severely damaged in 2016 and breached again in 2018. Despite temporary repairs following Hurricane Florence, full restoration efforts have been stalled due to a lack of funding until now.
On Tuesday at the Bladen County Courthouse, officials announced that help is finally on the way, thanks to the U.S. Department of Defense’s Innovative Readiness Training (IRT) program. Through this initiative, military service members will receive hands-on training by working directly on the dike while providing a valuable service to the community of Kelly.
Service members are expected to begin work in July and continue into August, returning annually for approximately five years to complete the project.
The restoration marks a critical milestone for residents who were cut off from emergency aid during the storms and had to be evacuated by boat or helicopter.
Pender County Emergency Management was invited to attend the announcement along with other emergency services, including the Atkinson Volunteer Fire Department and Bladen County.
During Florence, as flooding intensified, Pender County Emergency Management was asked to respond alongside numerous emergency services from Bladen County and the Atkinson Volunteer Fire Department in Pender County.
After the flooding started, the Pender County Emergency Operations Center received notification from Bladen County Emergency Management Director Bradley Kinlaw that the dike had been breached in Kelly and Pender County.
In response, Pender County launched the SABLE helicopter to the scene. On board were a SABLE flight crew and Pender County Emergency Management Director Tommy Batson. From the air, they were able to see the extent of the damage.
We saw multiple breaches in the dike,” Batson said. “There were even deer standing on top of it, trying to stay safe from the rising floodwaters.
The White Oak Dike has a long history of resilience, having also sustained damage during the 1945 flood. County leaders say this latest restoration effort is a long-overdue investment in protecting the Kelly community from future flooding threats.