RALEIGH -- Edenton Mayor Hackney High and Edenton Public Information Officer Tyler Newman were among the guests at the North Carolina Executive Mansion in Raleigh on Thursday for an event that recognized the town's recently produced Hurricane Isabel documentary.
A reception coordinated by the Governor's Office and the North Carolina Department of Public Safety (NCDPS), Edenton received an invitation alongside numerous Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOADs), who were being recognized for their hard work in post-disaster recovery and resiliency across the state. Organizations included United Way of North Carolina, Team Rubicon, the American Red Cross, Craven County Disaster Recovery Alliance, and Catholic Charities Disaster Services (of the Catholic Diocese of Raleigh).
During the reception, N.C. Governor Roy Cooper acknowledged Edenton's battle with Hurricane Isabel 20 years ago, along with the community's resiliency, comeback, and an eventual documentary produced about the film in late 2023.
A three-minute clip of the film was shown before an assembled audience at the Executive Mansion, preceded by Gov. Cooper's thanking of Mayor High and Newman for attending and their work on the film's creation and distribution to the greater community. Gov. Cooper explained to attendees that Edenton was an example of a community that had once been hard-hit by a natural disaster and recovered through the support of volunteers and neighbors helping neighbors.
Isabel 20, a 71-minute documentary assembled through 2023, was released to the public last December at the Taylor Theater, followed by multiple sellout shows into January & February of 2024, all free. The film was later uploaded to YouTube in April 2024 on the Town of Edenton's page, for all to view in perpetuity. The film is a product of the town's Public Information Office.
"We were extremely humbled and thankful that Governor Cooper and NCDPS have acknowledged Edenton as a case study for how to bounce back from a disaster like Isabel," said Newman. "Mayor High and I were honored to attend and represent Edenton at this prestigious level, and we always appreciate the recognition from our state's highest office."
Among other attendees on Thursday were Eddie Buffaloe, Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Public Safety and Will Ray, Director of North Carolina Emergency Management.
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