Breaking News } Flash flood watch for Johnston County

A story on Monday's front page incorrectly described the rivers that border Pamlico County in eastern North Carolina. The county is flanked by the Pamlico and Neuse rivers.

Recovery from Hurricane Irene in rural Eastern North Carolina is hampered by long waiting lists for limited contractors and exhaustive requirements by mortgage companies that hold the insurance settlements.

By April 1, the Popperwill family - parents Jennifer and Todd and their four daughters under age 7 - must give up their FEMA trailer and move into an even smaller camper they bought as a backup should they run out of options after Hurricane Irene destroyed their home.

North Carolina farmers affected by Hurricane Irene last August and by tornadoes in April can get more help from the federal government with more loan options and payments to recover from crop losses.

Two of the three city cemeteries damaged by last spring's tornadoes have reopened to the public, and the third is expected to reopen soon.

Prodded by the urgent need for long-term repairs to a storm-ravaged Outer Banks highway the state Department of Transportation is moving toward a solution expected to include elevating more than four miles of N.C. 12 onto bridges.