Land became parks after hurricane damage

In the wake of devastating flooding from Hurricanes Floyd and Dennis in the fall of 1999, two dozen properties in Pamlico County were no longer inhabitable and became Federal Emergency Management Agency buyouts.

Two of the tracts were on the waterfront, and today they are public water access educational parks. The homes on the two properties were mobile homes, located on creeks between Bayboro and Vandemere.

Candy Bohmert, who works for the Soil and Water Conservation District, said $40,000 in grants and $7,500 in county money was used to transform the properties into access areas for canoeing and kayaking, which are among the county's main eco-tourism draws.

The parks are on Raccoon Creek, funded with a state Parks and Recreation Trust Fund grant, and Newton Creek, sponsored through a CAMA water access grant.