Oral history interview with Raymond, Eunice, Wayne, and Charles Russell English, December 8, 1999

Raymond and Eunice English are an elderly Duplin County couple who weathered Hurricane Floyd. They are joined by their son, Wayne, and their nephew, Charles. Wayne and Charles do most of the talking in this lengthy interview, describing their experiences with the flooding and their frustrations with unregulated pollution from hog houses as well as with inadequate and disorganized relief. Like many flood victims, they are trying to rebuild their homes and lives with very little monetary help from the state and federal governments and are relying on volunteer and religious organizations for help. The English family pays particular attention to the effects of the flood on their community. They believe the aging farming community is in decline and worry that the flood may have grievously damaged its self-sufficiency; yet, by the end of the interview seem quite proud of the pervasive ethic of responsibility and cooperation. To give researchers an idea of the kind of material in the interview, I selectively marked excerpts where Raymond discusses the history of his community and/or his personal history. Researchers looking for local history should read the entire interview for some interesting recollections.