Gov. Perdue receives disaster declaration for flooding in New Hanover County

RALEIGH, NC (NEWS RELEASE) –- Gov. Bev Perdue today announced that Camden, Martin, New Hanover and Washington counties have received a disaster declaration from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The declaration comes after Gov. Perdue’s appeal of FEMA’s earlier decision to deny a disaster declaration for those counties.

The four additional counties follow ten other North Carolina counties that may be eligible for disaster assistance after suffering flood damage following Tropical Storm Nicole in September. Storm survivors could be eligible for federal low-interest loans or grants to help them repair their homes and replace some personal belongings.

Federal officials initially denied the request for the four counties on Oct. 19, explaining that those areas did not meet the minimal damage threshold. At Gov. Perdue’s request, N.C. Emergency Management officials have been working closely with local officials and FEMA and submitted an appeal for the non-declared counties Oct. 25.

The latest declaration means that residents in 14 eastern counties may now be eligible for federal financial assistance.

Disaster recovery centers have been open for the past few weeks in 10 counties. Federal and state emergency management officials are available Monday through Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. to meet with storm victims and help them complete loan applications.

As of this morning, residents in eastern North Carolina had received more than $2.7 million in federal funds to help them recover from the flooding. More than 2,740 had registered with FEMA for state and federal assistance and nearly 2,000 had visited disaster recovery centers. Already, more than 2,370 homes have been inspected by FEMA for damages.

Residents in all 14 declared counties may be eligible for help from FEMA; they do not have to wait for a decision from their insurance company. Many people will find they are underinsured after a storm. To apply for federal financial assistance, storm survivors can:

1. Apply online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov ;
2. Call 800-621-FEMA (3362); or
3. Visit the disaster recovery center in their county.

Details about disaster recovery centers for Camden, Martin, New Hanover and Washington counties will be made available as soon as they are finalized.

Homeowners may receive up to $240,000 to repair or replace their homes and some personal belongings while renters could receive up to $40,000. Any who don’t qualify for loans may be eligible for an individual assistance grant from FEMA to help repair and replace personal property.