Title: Oral history interview with Thomas and Elberta Hudson, December 18, 1999
Description: The Hudsons, both dedicated Christians, saw the presence of God during and after Hurricane Floyd. They explain that God helped them escape the floodwaters and oversaw an astonishing flood of generosity in the storm's aftermath, but He also used the flood to teach painful lessons about materialism. Elberta believes firmly that God sent the flood expressly for these purposes; Thomas thinks human error caused the flooding. The Hudsons also detail their escape from rising floodwaters and some of the recovery efforts they witnessed and took part in. It might be useful to read this interview with Bert Pickett's, as the two interviews present different religious reactions to the hurricane. There are a number of potentially useful, but small, details that were not included in the excerpts but might be useful to researchers. These are primarily blow-by-blow accounts of incidents in the flood's aftermath.
Subjects: Interviews, Race relations, African Americans, Religion, Hurricane Floyd, 1999, Floods, Flood damage, Disaster relief, Rescue work, United States. Federal Emergency Management Agency, United States
Places: North Carolina, White Stocking, Pender County (N.C.)
People: Thomas Hudson, Elberta Hudson