Three weeks after Hurricane Floyd made landfall in North Carolina [TLC, Oct. 10], devastation still numbed, people remained in shelters and, in some areas, the water still had not receded so that assessment and recovery could begin. Here are updates on the hardest-hit dioceses:

East Carolina

The situation is better in the Diocese of East Carolina where life is returning to something resembling normal. "The waters have gone down to a degree," said the Rt. Rev. Clifton Daniel, Bishop of East Carolina, "but it is not dry by any stretch of the imagination.

"We are thankful that most churches in the diocese were without major damage," he said. St. Thomas', Windsor, was the most damaged, with water reaching above floor level in the church. The estimate for repair and replacement to the church, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is $65,000. The parish house was ruined as well.

The beach house at Trinity Center, the diocesan camp and conference center, a large house used for meetings and educational programs, was "simply destroyed and will have to be demolished," the bishop said. Plans were already underway to replace the building, putting the diocese "a little bit ahead of the curve" on the project, but now it is without a building.

One bright spot in the diocese is at Trinity Church, Chocowinity, where, despite flooding, the congregation was able to celebrate its 250th anniversary on schedule.

North Carolina

"We've already raised over $115,000 in donations from parishes and individuals and received a grant of $25,000 from the Presiding Bishop's Fund," said the Rev. Kathleen Awbrey, Christian social ministries coordinator for the diocese. She expressed gratitude for all who have given and continue to give. The money was sent to parishes in the flood zone for the priests' discretionary funds. "A relief truck is being sent somewhere just about every day. The bishop sent a large truck to Tarboro yesterday," she said, because the rector of St. Michael's, the parish serving as a distribution center for the area, had no food left. The diocese continues to receive lists of needed supplies from flood-ravaged areas.

Ms. Awbrey said people continued to be in shelters in Rocky Mount and Tarboro.

In Tarboro, Calvary Church and St. Luke's are holding services together at St. Luke's, because Calvary remains unusable [TLC, Oct. 17]. Ms. Awbrey, who was at one joint service, went visiting with the Rev. Bill Smyth, rector, afterward. She saw blocks of condemned houses, filled with water, mold and mud.

Serving the migrant workers continues to be a serious problem. St. Timothy's, Wilson, has a large ministry to farm workers. What has become of the people in some camps is still not known and people are going out every day looking for workers. "They may not know they are not supposed to drink the water," Ms. Awbrey said.

Southern Virginia

Water is finally draining off and people are beginning the clean up — physically and emotionally, said Carlyle Gravely, diocesan newspaper editor.

At the most heavily damaged church, Emmanuel, Franklin, the nave itself was not severely damaged, he said, but there were water leaks. "The most damage was caused by standing water in the education area and in the basement, where water stood from 4 to 6 or 7 feet deep. It needs a lot of cleaning and repair."