Residents of the Wilmington Housing Project say that Hurricane Florence was "hell" for them. Now, they fear what comes next.

WILMINGTON, N.C. – When the rust-colored water first poured into his seventh-floor apartment in Solomon Towers, a downtown social housing project, Leroy Mitchell frantically wiped the water with towels and blankets. .

But the incessant rain of Hurricane Florence was too strong and too fast.

"I had to sweep the water, sit and rest, sweep the water and sit and rest – until it was done, "Mitchell said a few days after the storm. "The next day, the water came back."

"I just went through hell," he said softly. "Was not there someone who was going to help me?" If I had a place to go, I would go out here. I would really go out here.

Solomon Towers is less than 300 meters from the Cape Fear River in Wilmington's sought-after historic district. Named after Harry M. Solomon, who chaired the Wilmington Housing Authority for 25 years, the 11-story structure contains about 150 units, mostly studios. Most of its low income residents are disabled, elderly or both.

For those coming out of the turmoil of the Solomon towers, the chaos unfolding in the characterless facade of the building was as disturbing as what was happening outside. Flats on several floors on the north side of the tower were flooded during the storm after pouring rain penetrated windows, balconies or ceilings. Air conditioners in some units have stopped working. Whoever did not live on the first floor was without electricity for days. According to residents, dozens of foreigners seeking shelter in the streets have camped in the building for days, some causing mischief in the corridors.

According to locals, the chaos reveals that in times of crisis, the most vulnerable residents of a city suffer most often.

Mario Martini looked incredulously at Florence's pouring rain for days through her windows and the sliding door leading to her balcony.

"Everything was under water – all cooking," said the 62-year-old man, pointing to several water ponds the size of a manhole. Beyond its front door, the corridor, darkened by the blackout, had become a strange corridor of anarchy.

Several second-floor residents, including Martini, told HuffPost that strangers were crossing the halls, ringing covered bells peepholes and tried to enter apartments.

"We do not have anyone here to take care of us," said Latonia Bowser, who lives at the end of the Martini corridor. "There are people coming in and out of this building. We do not know who is supposed to be here, who is not supposed to be here. "

Bowser, along with several other residents with whom HuffPost spoke, said some of the structural and security issues could have been avoided if Wilmington Housing Authority had done more to prepare residents and the building for Hurricane Florence. They urged the housing authorities to take measures to prevent water damage in the future.

According to Martini, the repair of the roofs, the installation of storm windows and the increase in the number of staff (there were two security agents and no maintenance staff at the Florence site) could have been very effective.

Instead, many locals say the Wilmington Housing Authority's only storm preparation was to send leaflets warning residents not to leave their windows or doors open – or they could pay for any damage.

"They do not really do any maintenance," Martini said of the Wilmington Housing Authority. "They come and put dressings here and there."

The Housing Authority vehemently challenged this characterization, said CEO Katrina Redmon.

"We did everything we could do to prepare," Redmon told HuffPost during a phone interview Monday. "In all, this building has withstood the length of this storm and the power of this storm very well.

Debbie Williams and her neighbors on the north side of the building were expecting the 11th floor to expect the violent winds of Florence to shake the building, but they were not prepared for rainwater to enter their homes. ceilings.

"We thought it was not going to be that bad," Williams, 55, told HuffPost. Now, she worries about the water that is cascading down her walls and seeping into her soil will affect her respiratory illness. A putrid smell of something rotting smothered the air inside the device.

"We can not stay here," she said. "But I do not have any other place to go."

"I would like for the mayor [Bill] Saffo just went for a walk on the building and give us suggestions on what to do, "said Williams. "We have elderly people here. We can not live like this. I'm serious."

The Saffo office did not return HuffPost's multiple requests for comment.

There were 35 deaths related to Florence in North Carolina, including two in Wilmington when a tree fell on a house, killing a mother and her baby. Several major roads leading to Wilmington were washed away, causing the town to close by nearly 120,000 for several days during the storm. Florence toppled several large trees at the base of Solomon towers and in the neighborhood.

North Carolina representative Deb Butler, a Democrat, visited Solomon Towers last week to deliver hot meals and toiletries to residents in need. Butler, who lives three blocks from Solomon Towers, said his home had not been flooded or suffered major damage.

For Butler, visiting the Solomon towers in the afternoon in Florence highlighted the "stark contrast between surviving a storm like this with money".

"It's night and day," she said. "I started thinking about my own budget. I know I spent $ 500 to prepare this storm between food and reservations if I had to evacuate. … If you have money, you can get ready, but it's expensive. If you live with a paycheque, you can not afford to do it to the same extent, if at all. And it's very sad for me.

Several residents of Solomon Towers said they felt they had been forgotten by their community after Florence.

"I just want to be somewhere safe," Williams said. "Who knows?" That side of the building might want to give in and someone could be seriously injured or die.