Page 13 - Robeson Living Winter2019

September 17, 1926 the hurricane Miami, the most destructive to mph before 10:30 and soon after gusts were as high as 85 mph.
ever strike the United States, hit Florida. Rowland native Charles Most Lumberton streets were flooded and covered in debris from
Wyatt Adams, son of Salathiel LeGette Adams and wife Virgin- downed trees. Men turned out to assist the street crews in remov-
ia, died September 22nd of injuries suffered during the hurri- ing downed trees covering the roads. Thad Ellerbe showed up
cane. He lived in Florida for six years working as a druggist. He with several chain saws.
was married to the former Margaret Mawhinney a Pennsylvania
native. They had two daughters, Jean two and a half and Barbara The most common tree that fell in the county was the Chinaber-
only three days old at the time of the storm. ry tree which has extremely shallow roots. The driveway of my
great-grandparents home in St. Pauls was lined with the trees and
Their home held strong during the first wave of the storm with all of them came down during the storm. Most everyone remem-
only the windows being broken. He wrapped his wife and Bar- bers Chinaberry trees in their or neighbors’ yards falling. Julia
bara in blankets to protect them from the rain. In the morning Atkinson watching from her back yard as one fell on an empty
the much worse second wave hit lifting the house from its foun- lot at the corner of West 17th Street and McMillan Avenue while
dations. The house was a half block away before breaking apart Dwight Morgan watched as their three fell from his bedroom
and a portion was carried another half block. Mrs. Adams and window. Frances Phillips was seven at the time but remembers
the baby were found in the first part of the house covered in de- the storm taking out their tree and since then only remembers
bris. She suffered minor injuries while Barbara escaped without seeing one Chinaberry tree in the area. Joe Herring remembers
a scratch. playing on the big China Berry tree that Hazel blew down in their
back yard.
Adams was struck by a piece of timber above the eyes and it
peeled his scalp back to the top of his head fracturing his skull During the storm the Civil Defense was called out to assist the
in three places. He also suffered a broken leg and hip. He was police and direct traffic until the power was restored. David Len-
holding Jean in his arms when the house was hit. He was found non remembers that his dad, Duval Lennon, the Civil Defense
four hours after the storm ended. Jean was found floating in three director for Lumberton was away from home during and after the
feet of water about thirty minutes after her father was found. She storm. His family was all hunkered down in the central hallway
was not identified until Monday by family friends. She had been of their home while his dad rode around town monitoring the
passed from house to house due to the scarcity of food and it damage.
was believed both of her parents had perished. There were also
two other women in the house at the time of the storm. One was The damages caused by Hurricane Hazel were felt all over Robe-
killed while the other suffered a broken leg. Adams friend and son County with Lumberton, Fairmont and St. Pauls reported
Rowland native, D.P. McKinnon, who then living in Miami be- heavy wind damage. The October 18, 1954 issue of The Robe-
gan searching for the Adams family as soon as the storm ended. sonian reported that south Lumberton suffered less damage than
He did all he could to help the family in the next days. Charles most of Lumberton. An unnamed resident told the reporter “this
Wyatt Adams was brought back to Rowland and buried in the is one time I’m glad to live in the bottoms.” The bottoms was
town cemetery. an area located on the Lumber River past the railroad tracks on
South Elm Street.
Hurricane of 1944
Farm damages consisted of roofs torn off or the complete destruc-
On August 1, 1944, a category one hurricane hit Southport, tion of the buildings. Crops suffered especially the cotton fields.
south of Wilmington, with eighty mile an hour wind. Thirty-foot
waves hit Carolina Beach destroying the boardwalk and many The school buildings at Barnsville suffered the loss of roofs. Fair-
beach homes. Several Lumberton residents were at Wrightsville mont reported plate glass windows being blown out of the Rawls
Beach when the storm hit causing severe damage and making it Chevrolet Company and the J.L. Pontiac Company. While roofs
necessary for thousands to evacuate. Those forced to leave the were damaged or blown off of Campbell’s Men’s Store, Fairmont
beach for Wilmington included Mrs. Dickson McLean and her Drug Co., Capital Beauty Shop and Fairmont bakery. As well
sons, Dickson, Jr and Bill, along with her sister, Miss Frances as downed trees blocking around ten streets. Rowland reported
Sartor; Mr. and Mrs. O.L. Henry and son, Everett; as well as building damages as well as lots of downed trees like most of the
Mrs. Mary Patterson Johnson and sons, James, Gilbert and Her- county.
vey. All of the Lumbertonians were reported as safe form the
storm. Robeson County fared well during the storm with a rain- A week after the hurricane there were already an estimated 2,000
fall of 2.55 inches. insurance claims filed in Lumberton alone.

County Damages Mrs. Boyd Mincey was transporting several schoolgirls home
during the storm when she became trapped on the corner of
On the evening of Thursday, November 14, 1954 heavy rains Grace and First Streets by power lines landing in front and be-
began in the county with the full force of the storm sweeping in hind her car. Elston Morgan seeing their plight and armed with
around 10:30 Friday morning and the height of the storm lasted a broom took a great risk pushing the downed lines away so she
about an hour. Winds increased from 15 miles per hour to 45 could move. A school bus in the Long Branch area was blocked

Robeson Living ~ Winter 2019 Page 13