Michael F. Easley
Governor
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Michael F. Easley
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| For Release: | IMMEDIATE |
Contact: |
Cari Boyce/Renee Hoffman |
| Date: |
October 29, 2002 |
Cari Boyce Phone #: |
(919) 733-5612 |
Renee Hoffman Phone #: |
(919) 733-5027 |
RALEIGH – Gov. Mike Easley today announced that hurricane grant money that normally would be returned to the federal government will instead be used to buy additional occupied homes in flood-prone areas in Lenoir County.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) approved the state’s request to reallocate $1,131,050 in Hurricane Fran funds to purchase 73 properties in Kinston and Lenoir County. The mostly federal funds were left over when the local communities negotiated lower prices for buyout properties than was anticipated. Normally, this money would be returned to FEMA. However, the state asked for permission to expand the buyout program. The properties that will now be bought out were skipped over in prior recovery projects, creating a checkerboard effect, one where occupied homes were located next to abandoned homes, creating undesirable neighborhoods. The state’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) either acquires or relocates structures from hazard-prone areas so they will not be damaged again. “The hazard mitigation program has proven its worth because homes that were elevated or moved after Fran were not flooded again during Floyd,” said Gov. Easley. “With this approval from FEMA, we will be able to finish the work in Lenoir County and improve the quality of life for the people who used to live in these flood-prone neighborhoods.” Local officials, including state Senator John Kerr, Kinston Mayor Johnnie Mosley, and Lenoir County Commissioners Chair George Graham Jr. have been working with the Governor’s office and the N.C. Division of Emergency Management (NCEM) to convince FEMA to amend the HMGP agreements in Lenoir County and Kinston to allow the use of unspent Hurricane Fran funds to buyout the remaining homes. “Because Lenoir County has been hit by several hurricanes over the years, the buyouts have left some neighborhoods with abandoned houses alongside occupied homes,” said Sen. Kerr. “This has truly been a combined effort by all levels of government. We want to get these disaster victims’ lives back to normal, and that includes being able to live in nice neighborhoods where they won’t be at risk of flooding again.” The city and county will now develop a prioritization plan to determine the order of acquisition of the remaining properties. The local governments have until June 30, 2003, to spend the remaining funds. Currently, NCEM, which is part of the Department of Crime Control & Public Safety, is overseeing the buyout of more than 5,000 properties and the elevation of another 800-plus throughout the state. ###
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