RALEIGH, N.C. – The State of North Carolina and FEMA have approved more than $2.6 million in hazard mitigation project grants to improve disaster resilience in Craven and Pitt counties and the Town of North Topsail Beach.
Craven County was approved for a grant to purchase backup generators for five schools deemed to be critical facilities and susceptible to power outages from storms. Having their own backup generators will allow these schools to avoid paying high rental fees for generators during power outages. Total cost of this project is $984,980. FEMA’s share is $738,735 and the state’s share is $246,245.
Pitt County was approved for a $1,255,000 grant for the purchase of a backup generator for the County Detention Center which is subject to power outages. The federal share is $941,250 and the state’s share is $313,750.
The Town of North Topsail Beach was approved for a $369,216 grant for the purchase of two residential structures located within the Special Flood Hazard Area (AE Zone), which makes them highly susceptible to repetitive flooding. The grant pays for acquisition and removal of these residences and provides the means for the homeowner to move into a new home not subject to flooding. The property will then be converted to open space that conserves natural floodplain functions. The federal share for this project is $276,912 and the state’s share is $92,304.
Funding from FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program became available as the result of a federal disaster declaration following Hurricane Florence in 2018. FEMA reimburses 75 percent of eligible project costs and the remaining 25 percent is covered by the state.
For more information on North Carolina’s recovery from Hurricane Florence, visit ncdps.gov/Florence and FEMA.gov/Disaster/4393. Follow us on Twitter: @NCEmergency and @FEMARegion4.