Carrboro residents start digging out after storm floods homes

CARRBORO, N.C. (WTVD) -- Peter and Catherine Burke are starting to clean up their Carrboro home from Tropical Storm Chantal after going to lengths to stay safe during the storm.

"We panicked," Peter Burke said.

The Burkes' home is sandwiched between a pond and a creek. It quickly started taking on water with Chantal.

The couple, who are both in their 80s, went into the attic as the weather system was moving through.

"I got a bad leg, so I struggled up," said Peter. "We stayed up there for probably an hour-and-a-half."

They eventually heard rescue boats coming through the neighborhood and yelled out for help.

"That was the first sound of hope -- hope that somebody knew we were, we were in trouble here," said Catherine.

They were able to make it out of the house after grabbing some needed medication and their beloved pet.

"Our cat, which we had put on top of the refrigerator in her container because we couldn't carry her all the way up there," said Catherine.

Many of their items are destroyed, but they said they're incredibly grateful to first responders.

"I was just so overwhelmed by the scene and the professionalism of these guys," said Catherine.

Nearby, neighbors were dragging and dumping waterlogged personal belongings on the sidewalk.

Some ripped up ruined hardwood floors, or took down soggy walls.

Thomas Lee has been helping elderly parents deal with the aftermath.

"Saving what we can save and try to get somebody to come pick up," Lee said. "We got people, you know, just coordinating people to pick up trash or do demolition to remediate the whole area.