BURLINGTON, N.C. —There is a possibility that Jordan Meadows Drive will not appear on the majority of maps; yet, for the family that live there, it is a place that they consider to be their home. Additionally, this week, it became a symbol of the resiliency of the town.
Following a series of storms that swept through Alamance County, the single entry point to the private road, which was a tiny bridge that crossed a narrow brook, was unable to withstand the roaring floodwaters.
Jeffery Forbis, a local who has lived in this area for six years, stated that when he and his family arrived about midnight, the creek was clearly flowing over everything.
The width of that once-tame creek increased from an average of five feet to a whitewater rapid that was more than eighty feet across. At its highest point, the water surged to a height of more than eight feet, tearing the bark off of trees and obliterating any possibility of driving through.
“If you look on that tree where the bark’s off it, that’s how high the water came through here,” recounted Darrell Wagoner, a community member who had lived in this area for twenty years.
It was impossible for them to cross due to the power of the water. What was previously a bridge is now much more of a walkway than it was in the past. At the end of the road, there were four families who found themselves temporarily blocked off from the rest of the world because there was no other way to enter or exit the area either.
According to Wagoner, “the sheriff’s department came out to evaluate it,” and “they determined right away that you couldn’t cross it with emergency vehicles.”
On the other hand, what may have been a sign of isolation turned out to be a demonstration of neighborly support. In addition to relying on one golf cart, residents relied on one another.
“It’s my golf cart,” Wagoner remarked. “I got it here.” In addition, my neighbor who lives around the corner of us lent us his.
This little cart turned out to be their only means of transportation, transporting both supplies and people throughout the ravaged area.
We support our neighbors because it’s the right thing to do, even if we’re two doors up,” Mickey Smith said from up the road. “We do this because it’s the right thing to do.”
Additionally, they have gotten assistance from local contractors, who are friends who have performed the repair work at no cost in order to assist their neighbors in rebuilding.
According to Forbis, “The individual who is carrying out the work is actually a close friend of mine; he is almost carrying it out at no cost to us in terms of materials.”
The message is crystal obvious for those who are on Jordan Meadows Drive: whether you find yourself at a crossroads or stranded behind one, your community can make all the difference in the world.
The phrase “if you didn’t, we’d be lost” This was said by Wagoner with a grin.
