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Historic Black town lies one hurricane away from disaster

A pedestrian walks past an abandoned home near historic Freedom Hill in Princeville, N.C., Thursday, March 10, 2022. The red X signifies the house has been searched for bodies, a sign of past flooding from the Tar River. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome) A home in Princeville, N.C., is in the process of having the foundation raised Thursday, March 10, 2022. Flooding from past hurricanes has left permanent damage to the vulnerable community along the Tar River. Some residents have received funding to help rebuild homes and raise foundations. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome) An abandoned home sits near historic Freedom Hill, established by freed slaves in 1865, in Princeville, N.C., Thursday, March 10, 2022. Floods from the nearby Tar River have permanently destroyed a number of homes due to recent hurricanes. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome) Assistant chief Kermit Perkins looks over the town's newest firetruck at the volunteer fire department in Princeville, N.C., Monday, Feb. 28, 2022. The small town's fire department was a lifeline for many Princeville residents during historic floods from the nearby Tar River. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome) Assistant chief Kermit Perkins works at the Princeville Volunteer Fire Department in Princeville, N.C., Monday, Feb. 28, 2022. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome) Volunteer firefighters wait for their next call in Princeville, N.C., Thursday, March 17, 2022. The fire department was a lifeline for many Princeville residents during historic floods caused by hurricanes. Floodwaters from the nearby Tar River has left permanent damage to the small community. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome) FILE - A casket floats in a flooded yard in Princeville, N.C., Sept. 22, 1999, in the aftermath of Hurricane Floyd. Historic Princeville, on the banks of the Tar River in eastern North Carolina, is one hurricane away from disaster. Two hurricanes 17 years apart created catastrophic flooding in the town, which was built on swampy land. (Steve Earley/The Virginian-Pilot via AP) FILE - A boat carrying a group of Princeville, N.C., residents travels down Main Street after floodwaters from the Tar River completely flooded the town on Sept. 17, 1999, in the aftermath of Hurricane Floyd. The town, whose seal proudly declares it “the oldest town chartered by Blacks in America," has flooded many times. (AP Photo/Alan Marler, File) An earthen levee is lit by the setting sun along the Tar River in Princeville, N.C., Monday, Feb. 28, 2022. The town, whose seal proudly declares it “the oldest town chartered by Blacks in America," has flooded many times. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome) The town cemetery in Princeville, N.C., is a reminder of the permanent damage to the small community Monday, Feb. 28, 2022. Strewn cinder blocks can still be seen from past flooding, where some caskets were found floating in the community. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome) A cyclist travels by the closed Princeville Museum Welcome Center in Princeville, N.C., Monday, Feb. 28, 2022. The community, established by freed slaves, has suffered two historic storms leaving some parts of the small town permanently destroyed. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome) A historical marker is displayed at the site of Freedom Hill in Princeville, N.C., Thursday, March 10, 2022. Historic Princeville, on the banks of the Tar River in eastern North Carolina, is one hurricane away from disaster. The town, whose seal proudly declares it “the oldest town chartered by Blacks in America," has flooded many times.(AP Photo/Gerry Broome) Mayor Bobbie Jones looks out over the Tar River from an earthen levee in Princeville, N.C., Thursday, March 17, 2022. Jones, a full-time school principal who lives in Princeville and commutes one hour each way to his job in Hertford County, says history compels him, and others, to work for his town's survival. "These are sacred grounds," Jones said. "These are sacred African-American grounds." (AP Photo/Gerry Broome) William Johnson cuts hair at Bridgers Barber shop in Princeville, N.C., Thursday, March 10, 2022. The barber shop is one of only a few businesses in the small community that was established by freed slaves. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome) The Tar River flows under the bridge connecting Tarboro and Princeville, N.C., Thursday, March 10, 2022. The river has flooded twice in recent history due to hurricanes, leaving permanent scars on the town of Princeville. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome) Princeville resident Eddie Pettaway eats dinner at Tray-Seas Soul Food Restaurant in Princeville, N.C., Monday, Feb. 28, 2022. The restaurant is one of only a handful of establishments in the historic small town along the banks of the Tar River. Flooding from past hurricanes has left permanent scars on the small town. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome) An abandoned home sits in Princeville, N.C., Thursday, March 10, 2022. Historical flooding has left the vulnerable community next to the Tar River fearful of the next hurricane, while many areas of the community are still damaged from previous floods. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome) Carolyn Suggs Bandy talks with owner Tracey Knight while picking up take-out food at Tray-Seas Soul Food Restaurant in Princeville, N.C., Monday, Feb. 28, 2022. Bandy proudly gushed about her birthplace, a town that stakes its claim as the oldest chartered by Black Americans nearly 140 years ago. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)