Carolina Beach picks up tab for October rain repairs

CAROLINA BEACH, NC (AP) — Carolina Beach has had to dig into its own coffers to pay for hundreds of thousands of dollars in repairs caused by last October’s rains.

Local media outlets report that the town council agreed Tuesday to pay the $315,000 cost from the town’s utility fund. The heavy rains in early October caused sinkholes and widespread flooding.

Gov. Pat McCrory asked the Federal Emergency Management Agency in October to help cover an estimated $31 million in storm-related costs in eight North Carolina coastal counties. The request and a subsequent appeal were denied, leaving the communities to cover the costs themselves.

Carolina Beach leaders agreed to allow the town to reimburse the utility fund through financing if needed.

(Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)