Area emergency-management personnel are dealing with a double-edged sword: recovery efforts related to Hurricane Matthew and preparing for river flooding in the wake of Matthew.

While coordinating recovery efforts that included food distribution, damage assessment and evacuations Tuesday, those officials were simultaneously developing strategies to deal with river flooding today and/or Thursday.

“It’s all part of Matthew. It’s all rolled into one,” said John Pack, Beaufort County’s emergency-management director, Tuesday afternoon.

As for storm recovery, the food distribution site in Washington (Washington Plaza shopping center on 15^th Street) was replenished two times Tuesday. Other food distribution sites were at Bath and Aurora. “We had good response in the Aurora area,” Pack said. “They were without power Monday night,” he said.

“We’ve been supporting people through the distribution of water and MREs (military-style meals-ready-to eat) and trying to help everybody get by right now,” Pack said.

A military vehicle, known as a deuce-and-half, was used Tuesday to remove a woman from her home off Clark’s Neck Road and transport her through high water to an ambulance that took her to the hospital, Pack said.

Food and emergency-medical services are being provided in the VOA Road area, with EMS personnel “checking the health and welfare of the people that are around,” Pack said. “Law enforcement is continuing to secure the area. We highly discourage anyone from going in there, especially after dark. Law enforcement will do their job.”

“We’ll be happy when we get power on for 24 continuous hours without it going on and off,” Pack said. Late Tuesday afternoon, about 475 power customers were without power, Pack said, adding that number should be substantially less today.

Washington officials are taking several steps to prepare the city for flooding, including asking boaters to move their boats from the city docks. “They’re supposed to be moving out. The water is coming up, and we’re trying to run down some of the owners to get them up and out. … We’re trying to work with the boat owners and get the boats out because the tide is definitely coming in,” City Manager Bobby Roberson said Tuesday afternoon.

City crews will pump water out of Jack’s Creek to lower its level as much as possible, making it able to hold some, if not all, of the floodwaters coming down the Pamlico River, Roberson said. Also, city crews are making sure catch basins on streets are clear of debris so water can drain faster. City residents should not place storm debris on or near the catch basins, Roberson said.