9 NC mountain counties seek disaster aid

BOONE, N.C. — Nine counties in the North Carolina mountains are asking for help paying for damages caused by two winter storms last month.

The Winston-Salem Journal reported that the counties are seeking help from state and federal agencies to cover expenses from a Dec. 18 snowstorm and a Christmas Day ice storm. The counties stretch from Asheville along the North Carolina-Tennessee line and include Watauga and Ashe, where the ice storm caused the most damage.

Watauga County’s emergency management director, Steve Sudderth, says he estimates the two storms cost the county roughly $4 million in damages and expenses.

The storms caused widespread power outages.

Information from: Winston-Salem Journal

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