$1 million grant will help debris removal

ELIZABETHTOWN, NC (WWAY) — As hurricane season draws closer, it reminds us of the impact Hurricane Matthew had on the region. Bladen county received a federal grant to remove the mark the hurricane left, but work is slow going. Destruction continues living on as a reminder of the past.

“Hurricane Matthew brought a lot of wind and rain and flooding into Bladen County,” Dean Morris, Bladen Soil and Water conservation department head, said.

It took months to assess the damage done by Hurricane Matthew. The county received a one million dollar grant in late spring to help remove storm debris.

“There would be no funds available if it wasn’t for this, so we would just have to live with the situation of backed up rivers,” Morris said.

Browns Creek is just one of many areas that were hit hard by Hurricane Matthew. The one million dollar grant will help erase some of those marks left by that natural disaster. Some residents wonder why the cleanup did not start sooner.

“I don’t know why they taking so long to get the road fixed and stuff like that but I guess it’s in God’s hands, so what could I say,” James Brown, a resident, said.

The county received the grant months ago, but there’s a reason why work hasn’t started.

“We’ve been notified that we have received the grant but the grant process of them actually giving us the funds- we’re looking for this fall to when we can actually start some projects,” Morris said.

Morris says some major areas of focus once clean up begins will be the Black and South River and Bryant swamp. Big Swamp will also be cleaned, but that will be a joint effort by Bladen, Robeson and Columbus counties.