Duplin to receive elevation funding
By From staff reports
Published in News on July 8, 2018 3:05 AM
Hurricane Matthew survivors in Duplin, Pitt and Johnston counties and the city of Wilson will be receiving hazard mitigation grants.
Meanwhile, state officials said it will be the end of July before Wayne County storm victims receive any of the funding.
Duplin County will receive $647,651 to elevate five homes; Johnston County, $136,216 to reconstruct one home; Pitt County, $1,044,262 to acquire 11 properties; and the city of Wilson, $790,593 to acquire four properties.
In the latest round of funding, 64 homeowners across the central and eastern part of the state will receive $8.5 million in federal and state funds to acquire, elevate or reconstruct homes damaged by Hurricane Matthew.
"This is more good news for families who have been waiting for help so they can rebuild their homes and lives," said state Emergency Management Director Mike Sprayberry. "We know communities have been eagerly awaiting this funding, and we're working to get it to them as quickly as possible."
This is the fourth award of Hazard Mitigation Grant Program funds and will be used to reconstruct five homes, elevate 17 homes and acquire 42 properties so the homeowners can find alternative housing outside of the floodplain.
The grant awards also include:
• Columbus County, $670,079 to elevate five homes.
• Greene County, $1,796,384 to elevate five homes and acquire seven properties.
• Jones County, $610,770 to acquire five properties.
• Moore County, $660,533 to acquire six properties.
• Pender County, $532,384 to reconstruct four homes.
• Pasquotank County, $923,240 to elevate one home and acquire five properties.
• Cumberland County, $266,761 to acquire two properties.
• Dare County, $110,744 to elevate one home.
• City of Edenton, $220,902 to acquire one property.
• City of Washington, $106,977 to acquire one property.
It follows awards of $13.4 million to assist 87 homeowners in Camden, Columbus, Edgecombe, Halifax, Nash and Robeson counties and the cities of Fayetteville and Tarboro announced earlier this spring.
The number of awards now totals 150 properties and $21.6 million.
The federal program uses a combination of federal and state funds to elevate, reconstruct or buyout qualified homeowners whose home is at risk of repeated damage from flooding.
Following major disasters, a percentage of total federal recovery funds is designated to develop more resilient communities using one of the approved methods.
North Carolina is an Enhanced Mitigation state based on its thorough plan and program management history, which brings more federal funding for mitigation projects.
That enhanced status, which the Federal Emergency Management Agency renewed in May, translated into an additional $25 million to help 210 more homeowners following Hurricane Matthew.
State emergency management officials anticipate approximately $115 million total in Hazard Mitigation Grant Program grants will be awarded to help Matthew survivors get into more flood-resistant homes.
They hope to have all of the mitigation grants awarded by early August.
N.C. Emergency Management staff evaluated more than 3,000 applications from homeowners for Hazard Mitigation Grant Program funding in the months after Matthew, 10 times the typical number as compared to similar disasters.
As a comparison, it took staff 18 months to evaluate 300 applications after Hurricane Irene in 2011.
N.C. Emergency Management staff then submitted applications to FEMA to either acquire, elevate or reconstruct nearly 800 different properties damaged by Hurricane Matthew.
The state supported local governments by writing each grant application on their behalf.
Now that FEMA has approved the projects, the state can enter into the required project agreements with the receiving counties and city and discuss program requirements.
It is then up to each jurisdiction to select contractors and begin the actual elevation or demolition work.
The city or county will distribute the grant funds to the homeowner and will then be reimbursed by N.C. Emergency Management.