By Erin Smith
Elizabethtown officials are waiting on notification from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) regarding repairs to the damages that occurred to the town’s cemetery during Hurricane Florence. The cemetery received heavy damage from the storm in the form of soil erosion that led to the formation of giant cracks and the shifting of soil in the cemetery.
At the Elizabethtown Town Council’s planning retreat held in February, the board authorized town staff to submit a report to FEMA requesting funding for projects related to Hurricane Florence. The cemetery was included in that listing of projects that was submitted. Earlier this week, Town Manager Eddie Madden said the town has been notified by the NC Office of Recovery and Resiliency (NCORR) the town has been awarded a $2 million loan and a $500,000 grant.
He stated the town has been keeping a watchful eye on the cemetery damage and studying the issues that occurred with the cemetery as result of Hurricane Florence. Following the storm, large cracks began to open up in portions of the cemetery and along Queen Street. Engineers have performed soil borings and have learned the cracks in the surface of the cemetery are due to soil movement.
As part of the grant request to the NCORR, Madden said the town requested $50,000 to perform a study of erosion issues not just at the cemetery but along the Cape Fear River inside the town limits.
“There have been issues on both private and public property where erosion has occurred in the past,” said Madden. “As an example, the town has received calls of concern from business owners along Broad Street about ongoing erosion occurring behind their buildings that needs further study and investigation.”
Madden said the cemetery remains a top priority for the town council. Madden said one of the options being explored by the Elizabethtown Town Council includes relocating the cemetery to another tract of land already owned by the town. This would mean the town would have to relocate approximately 270 grave sites. Moving the graves in question will not be inexpensive.
Madden said, “Estimates from our consultants indicate the project will range from $2.8 million to $3.2 million.”
When asked exactly where the town would move the grave sites, if the town council chooses to move forward with that option, Madden said, “No definite decision has been reached about the location but we are considering a site near the Elizabethtown Airport as well as other sites in town.”
Madden said having the loan funds approved by the NCORR office is helpful to the town as a new hurricane season is approaching and decisions about repairs need to be made.
“Having the loan funds in place gives us the assurance that we can proceed with our project once our consultants complete their civil engineering work. Nevertheless, we remain hopeful that FEMA will provide sufficient, timely financial assistance to us so that the town will not have to incur long term debt and be stymied with a loan that will have to be paid back over many, many years,” said Madden.
When asked about a timetable for the relocation of graves to begin, Madden said the town is still waiting on a funding decision from FEMA before they proceed with any work. FEMA has just recently submitted to the town information regarding payments for personnel but has not issued any response regarding the other hurricane-related repairs and projects.
“Based on our experience to date it doesn’t appear that a decision is going to be reached by FEMA as quickly as we need it to be. Unlike prior federally declared storm events, their process has been very slow and very complex,” said Madden.
Other options for repairing the cemetery the town council has reviewed include:
*To repair the cemetery to its pre-storm conditions is estimated to cost $388,125. Madden said this solution has been deemed as not a viable option.
*Repairing the cemetery to pre-hurricane Florence conditions and implementing solutions to reduce the frequency and severity of soil movement in future significant storms is estimated to cost $760,650.
*Leaving the graves where they are currently located and installing a 400-foot wall of underground sheet pile along the Cape Fear River and installing a drainage system. It has an estimated cost of $3.3 million.
The town council has been considering the relocation of the cemetery as a viable option. Once the graves are relocated and the necessary repairs made, Madden said no decision has been reached regarding the future use of the cemetery.
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