Title: Oral History Interview with Bert Pickett, December 18, 1999. Interview K-0285.
Identifier: K-0285
Interviewer: Thompson, Charles
Interviewee: Pickett, Bert
Subjects: Duplin County (N.C.) Hurricane Floyd, 1999 Floods--North Carolina White Stocking (N.C.) Hurricanes--North Carolina Disaster relief--North Carolina United States. Federal Emergency Management Agency
Extent: 01:00:08
Abstract: In this interview, Pentecostal pastor Bert Pickett provides a compelling description of the abject despair that accompanied Hurricane Floyd's devastation. Pickett lost nearly all his possessions. The interview documents Pickett's articulation of his coping process—he avers his dignity and pride but confesses his absolute grief as well. He worries that he will lose the respect of his son and talks at length about the presence of evil in his community, whether manifested in people who defraud aid organizations or the destructive power of the flooding. This is a rich interview for someone interested in learning about the psychological impact of environmental disasters.