FEBRUARY 18, 2010 ISSUE
Watauga County To Receive $3.3 Million for Storm Damage
FEMA, State Approve Federal Disaster Declaration Funds
Photos by Sam Calhoun and Ken Ketchie The North Carolina Division of Emergency Management is estimating that Watauga County will receive $3,353,717 in federal disaster declaration funds to recover from storms and flooding that occurred between December 18 to 25, 2009. Seventy-five percent of the funds will come from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and 25 percent of the funds will come from the state, according to Watauga County Emergency Management Public Information Officer Brent Graybeal.
“I was pleased to learn last week that FEMA has approved the Governor’s request for federal aid for Watauga [County], along with some other western counties for damage experienced during the Christmas Day ice storm,” said Rep. Cullie Tarleton (D-93) last week. “Blue Ridge Electric had over $2.5 million in cost as a result of the storm. FEMA pays on a formula of 75 percent federal and we must come up with the other 25 percent at the state level. Both Sen. [Steve] Goss [(D-45)] and I will monitor this closely to see that the state meets its 25 percent obligation.”
The estimate includes reimbursements and future expenditures for Watauga County, the towns of Beech Mountain, Boone and Seven Devils, the North Carolina Department of Transportation, electric cooperatives and ASU, according to Graybeal. In other words, affected entities will be reimbursed for eligible damage expenses in regards to cleaning up damage and recovering from the storms. According to Graybeal, Blowing Rock’s funds will come as part of Caldwell County’s federal disaster declaration funds.
The affected entities and municipalities will receive reimbursements for overtime pay for employees as well as new money for debris removal costs and road/bridge repairs, said Graybeal. As an example, the Town of Boone had to pay a contractor to haul debris out of the town and to the Watauga County Landfill and then had to pay the county a tipping fee to complete the work. In that scenario, the Town of Boone will receive reimbursement for the payment to the contractor and for the tipping fee.
If the entities and municipalities suffered damage to buildings or infrastructure as a result of the storms, then they will be reimbursed for the damage, minus what insurance coverage provides, said Graybeal. “In other words, what insurance wouldn’t pay would be eligible for reimbursement,” explained Graybeal.
None of the entities or municipalities will receive reimbursement for snow removal costs through the funding, according to Graybeal.
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