Easley, Michael. Press Release, 2006-09-06, Gov. Easley Announces Recovery Teams Sent To Eastern N.C.; Assessments By State And Federal Officials Will Determine Next Steps For Local Aid

Michael F. Easley Governor State of North Carolina Office of the Governor For Release: IMMEDIATE Contact: Seth Effron Date: September 6, 2006 Phone: 919/733-5612 GOV. EASLEY ANNOUNCES RECOVERY TEAMS SENT TO EASTERN N.C. Assessments By State and Federal Officials Will Determine Next Steps for Local Aid RALEIGH - Gov. Mike Easley announced today recovery assistance teams arrived in eastern North Carolina counties to start tallying the damage and response costs from Tropical Storm Ernesto. The teams of state and federal representatives will meet with local officials over the next few days to determine if the damage is sufficient to warrant a federal disaster declaration. “The information these teams bring back will be critical in helping decide if losses and response costs faced by these communities and individuals meet the threshold for a federal disaster declaration,” said Easley. “It will probably be early next week before these teams finish their work and we have an opportunity to look at the numbers. We will certainly do everything we can to help the citizens who suffered from the flood.” The teams are working in 1 3 counties where local emergency management officials requested a fonnal damage assessment: Bertie, Brunswick, Camden, Columbus, Currituck, Dare, Duplin, Hertford, Jones, Onslow, Pasquotank, Pender, and Perquimans. The teams, made up of representatives from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the state Division of Emergency Management, are pulling together disaster costs for two different programs: Individual Assistance and Public Assistance. Individual Assistance homeowners and renters affected by the disaster can get help to cover essential needs such as temporary housing and repairs for uninsured damages. An Individual Assistance declaration is based on the magnitude of the damage in any one county. To be considered for housing assistance, the affected home must be an individual's primary residence. Public Assistance is the program that reimburses some emergency response costs of local governments and private non-profit agencies. Those costs include debris removal; emergency protective measures such as overtime for first responders; and repairs to road systems, bridges, water control facilities, public buildings, public utilities, and parks. Governor's Press Office State Capitol. Raleigh, NC 27603-8001 (919) 733-5612 - Toll Free 1-800-662-7005 FAX (919) 733-5166