Life is slowly returning to normal in Hertford County as local officials officially ended its State of Emergency effective 6 p.m. Thursday. .

County residents are still picking up the pieces after last weekend’s heavy wind and rain from Hurricane Irene. Meanwhile, county officials remain in the storm damage assessment mode.

Hertford County Emergency Management Director Chris Smith said on Thursday that he and other local officials met Thursday with state and federal representatives to begin the process of placing a dollar amount on the total damage left in Irene’s wake. As of Friday morning, only the losses to local crops had been fully assessed ($14.55 million).

Smith said county officials are going door to door to assess storm damage to private property.

Meanwhile, all roads are back open in the county. The last problem area (flooding on Benthall Bridge Road near Murfreesboro) was erased from the list Thursday.

The number of homes and businesses still without power in the county is shrinking. As of Thursday afternoon, 553 electrical meters were still without power.

Smith said the debris site is operational at the Hertford County Landfill for homeowners that want to get rid of their storm clutter.

The Men’s Baptist Association of Mississippi and the American Red Cross have established a kitchen at West Chowan Baptist Association, 335 NC 42 in Ahoskie. From there, the two organizations send out food and water to those in need (citizens whose homes remain without electrical service) within Hertford, Gates and Northampton counties.

Inmates from the North Carolina Department of Correction remain in Winton to assist that municipality with storm debris clean-up. That effort is expected to end Friday.

Union Utilities now has power and has returned to normal operation. The county was supplying water to those residents during the power outage.