Disaster declaration for three NC counties

Governor Mike Easley requested a federal disaster declaration for three counties that suffered the most damage from Tropical Storm Hanna on Tuesday.

If approved, the disaster declaration would enable federal grants to be used to repair roads, bridges and beaches in Beaufort, Brunswick and Person counties.

“While we were very fortunate that Tropical Storm Hanna brought no more damage than it did, there are some areas of our state that were significantly affected and need help,” said Easley.

As a result of Tropical Storm Hanna, there were 39 road closures, four bridge closures and significant beach erosion. The storm left more than 48,000 cubic yards of debris across several counties.

Brunswick County suffered the highest dollar loss with more than $9,000,000 in damages to Holden Beach. In Person County, rain from Hanna washed away drain pipes which caused roads to collapse.