Princeville must weigh future options

The flooding caused by Hurricane Matthew reminds some of us all too well of similar conditions caused by Hurricane Floyd in 1999. But so, too, do some of the rumors that have surfaced in wake of the catastrophic storm.

Here is one with a familiar ring to it: The notion that the city of Rocky Mount opened the floodgates to its Tar River dam, inflicting more damage on downstream communities, including Princeville.

That was not true when the rumor first floated in 1999 and it is not true today in 2016.

As Rocky Mount Mayor David Combs has pointedly announced:

“The city does not have a flood-controlled dam. Therefore, we do not control the water going over the dam and will not open the gates.”

Princeville officials and residents have a long list of questions and crises to resolve, but that rumor should not be among them.

Instead, the town should focus its attention on the future. Already strapped with huge financial issues that have left the community without its own police department or water and sewer system, Princeville also must reconsider the prudence of its location. The town debated whether to move in the aftermath of Floyd, but wound up staying with hopes that a refurbished dike would better protect the community in the event of future storms.

It should revisit that question now, after a forced evacuation in fear that the Tar River would hit the town once again with catastrophic flooding.

Princeville’s historic significance cannot be overlooked. It is one of the oldest, if not the oldest, town in America founded by freed slaves. But in light of two historic floods in less than 20 years, it is time for town leaders to focus more on the future than on Princeville’s noteworthy past.