It’s going to take longer than expected as residents of Kinston Towers won’t be able to move back into their homes for up to a month.
According to the Kinston Housing Authority, the electrical repairs from last week’s Kinston Towers’ fire are expected to be completed in three to four weeks, more than twice as long as the initial estimate after Wednesday’s blaze displaced almost 150 residents from the 11-story building. A second-floor fire in the mechanical room was caused by electrical failure.
At the time, Kinston Department of Public Safety Director Bill Johnson said he thought the worst-case scenario would be 10 days before Kinston Towers would be operational again. Soon after, KHA Executive director Rhonda Abbott had to say otherwise.
“Once the engineer, adjuster and contractor met on Friday, they were able to assess the damage,” Abbott said. “We didn’t really know what the problem was but now that it’s been assessed, we have to get parts ordered and delivered, along with labor.”
The KHA has been temporarily housing Kinston Towers’ residents at local hotels, as well as giving them the option to relocate to other housing properties the KHA owns. The Red Cross provided assistance last weekend, serving hot meals, providing laundry and church services along with made in-person visits to discuss any additional needs.
“We’re continuing to provide services out of the hotels they’re staying at,” Autum Mihm — Eastern N.C. Red Cross Director of Communications — said. “We bring hot meals to the lobbies or door to door for those unable to travel. We’ve also been doing case work and checking in on those with special needs.”
The Red Cross also arranged for church services Sunday, as Burning Bush Church Ministry pastor Gloria Sanders provided a sermon at the Hampton Inn where most residents of Kinston Towers are staying. The Red Cross is also working with Bridge Church in Goldsboro for a potential cookout.
The Red Cross will stay and assist residents for the duration of the repairs to Kinston Towers.
“This is a unique situation in where a lot of people with special needs have been displaced and will be for a long amount of time,” Mihm said. “We don’t know exactly what’s going on as far as repairs, but we know the place isn’t habitable, so we’re fulfilling the needs of the people.
The work of the Kinston Housing Authority and Red Cross haven’t gone unnoticed by Kinston Towers’ residents.
“The Red Cross and Kinston Housing Authority have been treating us very nice,” resident Hilda Grace Foye said on Monday. “They’ve been treating us like family.”
Mexico Dawson — who has been staying with her daughter since the fire — agreed with Foye, citing earlier interactions with the Red Cross and KHA since Wednesday.
“They’ve been giving me the same treatment even though I don’t stay in the hotels,” Dawson said.
For anyone trying to volunteer with the Red Cross, call the Lenoir County office at 252-523-4528.
Junious Smith III can be reached at 252-559-1077 and Junious.Smith@Kinston.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JuniousSmithIII.