Rivers Rise as NC’s Recovery From Tropical Storm Debby Continues

Even as Tropical Storm Debby has passed residents and motorists in North Carolina should continue to heed safety warnings, especially in low-lying areas prone to flood. The storm killed four people in North Carolina, and heavy rain, tornadoes and flooding damaged infrastructure and homes. Riverine flooding remains a risk for several communities this week, keeping the State Emergency Response Team and many counties in the active response phase.

"The family and friends of those who died have our deepest sympathies. It is important that North Carolinians remain aware of lingering impacts from Tropical Storm Debby," said Governor Roy Cooper. "As we go into this week, we are beginning the job of assessing the damage and cost of responding and recovering from this storm."

North Carolina deaths attributable to the storm were: A homeowner killed when a tornado destroyed his house; a motorist who died in a vehicle crash due to heavy rain; a person in a home damaged by a fallen tree; a motorist who drove around a barrier whose car was swept away by flood waters.

Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster (VOADS) are aiding impacted residents across the state, while state and local agencies connect them to necessary resources. The State Emergency Response Team has distributed essential supplies like tarps, water, and meals as well. For residents that need assistance with clean up or damage from Debby, you can contact Crisis Cleanup at 1-844-965-1386 to connect with volunteer and local relief organizations.

"Residents should stay informed via reliable weather sources and visit DriveNC.Gov to see the status of roadways, as flooding in some communities is continuing this week," said NC Emergency Management Director Will Ray. "Residents can visit Fiman.NC.Gov to access the state's nearly 600 flood gauges to see what the impacts are to their communities this week."

As recovery begins this week, preliminary damage assessments are underway in Hoke and Harnett counties, with more counties being scheduled this week. This process is crucial for determining financial impacts that will inform eligibility for State and Federal Disaster Declarations, in accordance with state and federal law.

To qualify for State Public Assistance, local governments need to incur $10,000 or 1% of their operating costs, receiving 75% of these costs back for emergency protective measures and debris removal. Public Assistance is designed to assist governmental agencies with disaster recovery, whereas Individual Assistance is designed to help residents with unmet recovery needs.

State Individual Assistance, which provides direct financial assistance to residents that are impacted by the event, requires that 26 or more uninsured homes incur major damage or are destroyed to take effect. This is also determined by the damage assessments taking place this week.

A Federal Disaster Declaration requires statewide costs to exceed nearly $20 million, based on the individual counties and state entities being assessed. Once the state meets the threshold for a federal declaration, county eligibility for federal assistance is examined. For a county to be eligible for a Federal Public Assistance declaration, it must have damage and costs that meet or exceed their population, times $4.06. Federal Public Assistance provides state and local government entities with reimbursement for eligible costs.

Federal Individual Assistance, provided directly to residents, is determined county by county by FEMA, with possible low-interest recovery loans being made available through the U.S. Small Business Administration. Once North Carolina's eligibility for these programs is determined NC Emergency Management will share the information publicly.

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