As rescues were underway in hurricane-battered New Bern, North Carolina, on Friday night, a Tampa Bay man was among the rescuers.
Nate Hendricks, a Polk County resident, drove toward Florence to help out during the storm.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like this,” said Hendricks, who also helped with relief efforts in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria.
He packed his family van full of supplies, like food and water, and hit the road with his two sons. They saw extensive damage, including flooded homes and downed trees and power lines.
The three of them have sawed through trees to clear blocked roads, dropped off supplies at shelters and even waded through floodwaters to rescue people stranded in their homes.
“I think it just gives them that emotional comfort to know that there's people out there from Florida, from other places that actually care,” Hendricks explained.
Conditions are so bad in New Bern, a curfew is in place until Saturday morning. However, Hendricks said he might not abide by it.
“If the water rises like it did and people need to be rescued from their homes, there's not going to be a curfew that can stop me from going out to do that, unfortunately,” he said. “People's lives mean more to me than that.”
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