Source: Chris Scott, MEATINGPLACE, 11/8/18


North Carolina officials are taking a cue from the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew in 2016 when it comes to dealing with the millions of animals killed in Hurricane Florence in September.

State agricultural officials plan to compost the 5,500 hogs and 4.2 million turkeys and chickens that died from floodwaters sparked by Hurricane Florence throughout the state. The N.C. Dept. of Agriculture has asked the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to help fund the latest project, just as the agency did when Hurricane Matthew killed more than 1.8 million birds statewide two years ago.

North Carolina was the first state to request financial assistance from FEMA for such a project, although the composting process has been used in other states. That list includes Minnesota, which composted the more than 9 million birds killed in an avian influenza outbreak in 2015.

The animals killed by Florence are expected to be placed on a layer of wood chips and sawdust, then covered by more chips and sawdust to create a mound that eventually raises the temperature inside to as much as 160 degrees as the animals decompose without any odors. The heat destroys pathogens and creates organic material farmers can use as fertilizer in about three weeks.  

Burying the carcasses was not an option because of the naturally high water table in North Carolina that provides drinking water and needs protection from possible organic pollutants, officials noted.

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