Gov. Easley Requests Federal Disaster Declaration for Bonnie and Charley;

SBA Loans Approved for Hurricane Alex damages 

RALEIGH - Gov. Mike Easley today sent a letter to the President requesting a federal disaster designation for six North Carolina counties to help pay for repair and cleanup costs from the effects of Tropical Storm Bonnie and Hurricane Charley. In addition, the state was notified that homeowners and business owners in four counties are eligible for Small Business Administration (SBA) loans as a result of damages due to Hurricane Alex.

“North Carolina was well prepared for these storms, and we were fortunate that the damage was not widespread,” said Easley. “However, a number of citizens and businesses have significant damage and they need federal help to completely recover.”

The remnants of Bonnie spawned tornadoes in several counties last week, with the worst damage occurring in Pender and Harnett Counties. Three people were killed in the town of Rocky Point in Pender County on Friday, August 13. Hurricane Charley came ashore for a second time on the southeastern coast of North Carolina on Saturday, August 14 after devastating much of central Florida in its initial landfall. The heaviest damage from Charley was done in Brunswick and New Hanover counties, although nearly every coastal county had heavy rains and high winds.

The request includes a public assistance disaster declaration for Beaufort, Brunswick, Columbus, Dare, New Hanover and Pender counties. Counties reported the following damage totals for public assistance, which includes debris removal and emergency response costs:

Beaufort $ 147,175

Brunswick $2,494,923

Columbus $ 373,600

Dare $ 159,333

New Hanover $1,391,674

Pender $1,053,672

An individual assistance declaration is requested for Brunswick, New Hanover and Pender counties. In those counties, the damage assessment teams found 289 homes with major damage, 2,388 homes with minor damage, and 20 homes destroyed. Ten businesses suffered major damage and 48 had minor damages in those counties.

If the disaster declaration is approved, residents will be able to get help from the federal government to pay for their uninsured losses. Local governments and electric membership cooperatives will also be able to recover the costs of emergency response and debris removal, and get help with repairs to publicly owned utilities and buildings.

The governor declared a state of emergency on August 13 and activated 270 members of the National Guard. A Federal Emergency Management Agency advance team was in the state prior to the storms. State and federal damage assessment teams have been working throughout eastern North Carolina since this past weekend to determine if there was enough damage to qualify for federal assistance.

On August 18, Gov. Easley directed the Departments of Crime Control and Public Safety, Transportation and Correction to coordinate efforts to remove debris from area roadways. Citizens who need assistance clearing debris from their property should contact their county emergency management agency and complete the inmate waiver form. N.C. Emergency Management will work with the Department of Correction to have minimum-custody inmates remove the debris. Inmates are also assisting farmers in the coastal communities by standing up crops that were blown over by high winds.

Also today, the SBA approved a disaster loan program for Dare, Hyde, Currituck and Tyrrell counties to help recover from damage caused by Hurricane Alex on August 3. The low interest loans include Home Disaster Loans to homeowners or renters to repair or replace disaster damages to real estate or personal property; Business Physical Disaster Loans to businesses to repair or replace disaster damages to property owned by the business, including real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory and supplies; and Economic Injury Disaster Loans for working capital to small businesses and small agricultural cooperatives to assist them through the disaster recovery period.

The deadline for filing applications for physical damage loans is October 18, 2004. The deadline for applications for economic injury loans is May 19, 2005. The SBA will open application centers in the affected counties, or citizens can call 1-800-359-2227 for more information.