Jerry Wood won $100,000, no doubt a stroke of good fortune. However, he knows there are less fortunate in the state who are still recovering from the storm. With his newfound winnings, Wood feels compelled to help.
"There's a lot of people out on Ocracoke Island that still need help," Wood said. "We were able to help a little after it first hit, but now this puts us in a position to do more."
Wood, a construction worker, stopped by the Quality Food Mart on South Main Street in Wake Forest on his way home from work. He got a $5 million Mega Cash scratch-off ticket. He went to his car and checked the ticket on the lottery app on his phone.
"When it said it was a winner I thought, 'Great! Maybe I won $1,000,'" Wood said. "When I scratched the front of the ticket, and saw that I won $100,000, I was in shock. I couldn't believe it."
Wood called his wife and they went straight to lottery headquarters to claim their prize. After taxes, he took home $70,756. Wood says he'll also use the money to save for retirement.
Twenty tornadoes were reported in the Carolinas from Dorian and it flooded homes at the Outer Banks, trapping some families.