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It’s been more than a month since Hurricane Matthew brought more than a foot of rain to many parts of Bladen County, causing major flooding, damages roads and knocking out power.
The recovery will continue for several months in Bladen and surrounding counties. Thursday, the Federal Emergency Management Agency approved funding to help cover additional expenses as communities in Bladen and 12 other counties continue to rebuild.
“These funds are vital in helping our communities move forward from Hurricane Matthew’s devastating impacts,” N.C. Gov. Pat McCrory said. “Municipalities can repair or replace damaged facilities and infrastructure and provide necessary services.”
Federal Public Assistance funding is now available for 48 North Carolina counties. Thursday’s amendment makes additional funds available in those counties to offset the costs of critical infrastructure repairs for local governments, state agencies, certain non-profit agencies and federally recognized Indian Tribal governments that are located in designated disaster areas. Along with Bladen, counties included to receive additional funding include Anson, Chatham, Cumberland, Franklin, Halifax, Hoke, Johnson, Lee, Nash, Richmond, Scotland and Wake. FEMA’s declaration also enabled Franklin County to seek funds to cover the costs of emergency response measures and debris removal.
The fund can be used to repair and/or replace roads, bridges, water control facilities, public buildings and equipment, public utilities, parks and recreational facilities.
In other storm-related news,
** People in Bladen County have until Monday, Nov. 14 to file for Disaster Unemployment Assistance, according to the N.C. Division of Employment Security. The program, which is federally funded, offers financial assistance to those who have become unemployed as a direct result of the effects of Hurricane Matthew. For information, call Employment Security at 1-866-795-8877 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays, email esc.dua@nccommerce.com or go to www.ncesc.com.
** McCrory has scheduled the first regional meeting of his Hurricane Matthew Recovery Committee for Tuesday, Nov. 15 at Robeson Community College in Lumberton. The meeting will be from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. A portion of the time will be devoted to taking public comments.
McCrory formed the committee last month to help areas recover from the storm and address needs that will not be met by the existing federal relief program. The committee met for the first time Nov. 1 in Raleigh.
“It is important that members of this recovery committee get out to the areas that suffered from Hurricane Matthew and hear firsthand from those who have been affected,” McCrory said. “Regional meetings will help the committee prioritize the steps that need to be taken to meet the needs of those impacted and develop long-term solutions to prepare for future natural disasters like Hurricane Matthew.”
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