RALEIGH, N.C. – On Sept. 14, 2018, Hurricane Florence made landfall in North Carolina and dumped as much as 30 inches of rain in some places. Catastrophic flooding caused extensive damage to homes and infrastructure in a large portion of the state.
In the two years since the devastating storm, more than $2 billion in federal and state assistance has gone to survivors and communities to help North Carolina’s recovery move forward. Funding includes FEMA grants, National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) payments and low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).
“I am proud that North Carolina was the first state in the country to have our action plan approved to access additional federal funds following Florence and am committed to rebuilding smarter and stronger to ensure that our communities are as resilient as our people,” Gov. Roy Cooper said.
Recovery efforts as of Sept. 10, 2020:
- FEMA grants, low-interest SBA disaster loans and NFIP flood insurance payments for Hurricane Florence survivors total:
- $407.8 million in loans approved by SBA for homeowners, renters and businesses affected by the hurricane.
- $632.7 million paid by the NFIP to flood insurance policyholders across the state.
- $133.9 million in FEMA grants paid to survivors in 34 affected counties for home repairs, temporary housing and replacing essential household items.
- FEMA provided housing, without cost, to 656 households approved to live temporarily in travel trailers or manufactured housing units in the 13 hardest-hit counties—Bladen, Brunswick, Carteret, Columbus, Craven, Duplin, Jones, Lenoir, New Hanover, Onslow, Pamlico, Pender and Robeson. By June 2020, all 656 households had moved into longer-term housing.
- FEMA provided $628.9 million to reimburse state and local governments and certain private nonprofits in 51 affected counties for eligible activities and disaster-related costs. An additional $197.1 million has been provided by the state.
- FEMA obligated $21.6 million through its Hazard Mitigation Grant Program to encourage the state and local governments to fund projects that help communities eliminate or reduce disaster-related damage.