Source: PRESS RELEASE, 9/8/11

Gov. Bev Perdue announced today that the state will pay North Carolina’s 25 percent share of recovery costs, sparing towns, cities and counties already battered by the hurricane.

With Federal Emergency Management Agency assistance, the federal government picks up at least 75 percent of recovery costs to individuals, businesses and communities.  Those damages are currently estimated at more than $100 million. The rest of the recovery costs go to the state, which has the option of passing those costs down to the affected communities.

Agricultural damages, which are handled by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, are currently estimated at $320 million. Gov. Perdue is working to secure emergency federal funding to offset those losses.

“The state has always taken care of our communities struck by natural disasters,” Gov. Perdue said. “That assistance is even more important during a difficult economy. Cities and towns that have been battered, first by a recession and now by Hurricane Irene, don’t need the added burden of an enormous bill for damages.”


Progress

North Carolina has moved quickly to erase the effects of Hurricane Irene.

o   Temporary housing units provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency will begin arriving as early as next week for victims of Hurricane Irene whose homes are no longer habitable.

o   Power has been fully restored in all the communities affected by Hurricane Irene, but some homes are so badly damaged that people cannot return to them. North Carolina currently has two shelters with about 50 people staying there. NCEM and FEMA are working with them on long-term solutions to get them back into safe and private housing.

o   13,000 people have registered with FEMA for assistance.

o   13 Disaster Recovery Centers are open. We will have more opening in the next few days.

o   2,000 people have visited those DRCs since they first opened Sept. 1.

o   $7.4 million already has been dispersed to families in need.

• 4,771 - damaged homes already inspected and paperwork sent to FEMA.

o   Distribution began today for special disaster food and nutrition services benefits in Beaufort, Carteret, Craven, Dare, Halifax, Hyde, Lenoir, Pamlico and Tyrrell counties.


Easing regulations

To speed the recovery from Irene, Gov. Perdue has directed the easing of a variety of state deadlines and regulations to make it easier for families and businesses to get back to full speed. She has:

o   Signed an executive order Today to waive motor vehicle restrictions to expedite the delivery of temporary housing units from FEMA for hurricane victims.  

o   Directed the Department of Revenue to provide tax relief to businesses and individuals in those counties declared federal disaster areas.  Some deadlines for affected taxpayers have been extended until October 31, 2011, and late payment/filing penalties will be waived.  In addition, NCDOR will suspend garnishments, tax warrants and other forced collection actions in the disaster areas until October 31.

Affected individuals and businesses should visit any of the 12 NCDOR offices throughout the state, or the department's website to obtain necessary forms for disaster victims.  For more detailed information about the deadline extensions, penalty waivers and other tax relief please visit www.dornc.com or call 1-877-252-3052.  

o   Issued an executive order allowing for piling debris along the roadside for the Department of Transportation or local governments to pick up in order to ease storm clean up.  Her orders also allow for burning of debris, in accordance with local ordinances, in cases where the debris cannot be moved to the road.

o   Issued emergency permits to start repairing NC 12 on the Outer Banks.

o   Issued an emergency approval for dredging necessary for NCDOT’s emergency ferry between Stumpy Point and Hatteras Island to continue to operate.

o   Issued a Coastal Area Management Act (CAMA) Emergency General Permit that allows property owners to quickly rebuild storm-damaged structures such as piers, docks, boat houses and homes located near coastal sounds, rivers and streams.

o   Issued exemptions under the Neuse and Tar Pamlico buffer rules that allow for removal of storm-damaged trees and other debris from the buffers.

o   Ordered temporary disaster debris storage and disposal sites.

o   Directed Marine Fisheries officials to open southern Core Sound, Back Sound, The Straits and North River to the use of set large mesh gill nets Oct. 1, and to open the Pamlico Sound Gill Net Restricted Area Sept. 19.

o   Ordered the use of prison inmates to clean up public areas. Nearly 1,800 hours of inmate labor, and nearly 300 staff hours, have gone into cleanup in Harlowe, Columbia, Winton, Elizabeth City and Snow Hill, as well as picking up tires on Atlantic Beach.

o   Directed the Division of Purchase & Contract  to suspend normal purchasing rules to obtain critical products and services quickly.

o   Ordered the ESC to expedite applications for unemployment assistance for individuals displaced or affected by the disaster.


Beware of scams

Gov. Perdue warned those who are repairing their homes or businesses that scammers and con artists often travel to areas that have been hit by natural disasters. Beware of contractors who knock on your door offering to perform repairs or remove trees. Don’t agree to pay for work up front.  Instead, ask friends and family members for recommendations and check out companies with the Attorney General’s Office and the Better Business Bureau.  When possible, get three written estimates and compare bids.  

Also, watch out for charity scams that use Hurricane Irene to make their phony pleas for donations sound more believable.  If a telemarketer refuses to answer your questions about the charity, offers to pick up a donation in person, or asks for your bank account or Social Security number, it may be a scam.  Give to established, reputable charities that you contact instead.

To report scams or price gouging (charging too much in a time of crisis), call the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division at 1-877-5-NO-SCAM or file a complaint online at www.ncdoj.gov.


Am I covered?

If you have questions about your damages and insurance coverage, please visit the Department of Insurance’s web site: http://www.ncdoi.com/Consumer/Consumer_Disaster.aspx or call the department’s consumer services hotline at 800-546-5664 (toll free in N.C.) or 919-807-6750 during standard business hours.