Carteret County, N.C., Tallies Damage From Ophelia

Sep. 20–MOREHEAD CITY — Work is still under way in Carteret County to determine if the amount of damage from Hurricane Ophelia — estimated at several million dollars — meets requirements for federal aid.

Teams with the Federal Emergency Management Agency have been in the county since Friday to assess destruction left by the storm when it passed Wednesday and Thursday. But there’s no word yet whether FEMA will be able to help families, businesses and public entities rebuild.

“There was no indication either way whether we would or would not qualify,” said Carteret Emergency Services Director Allen Smith.

Teams spent Friday, Saturday and Sunday surveying damage to homes and businesses. Another was in town Monday to meet with town and county officials about damage to public government facilities such as schools and the hospital, Smith said.

Before the storm, FEMA was authorized to assist Carteret and other designated counties with measures to protect public health and safety before, during and immediately after the storm. The declaration sought now by the county is for long-term recovery help, Smith said.

If Carteret qualifies, the federal government could help local governments pay for repairing public buildings, removing debris or replacing damaged infrastructure.

For individuals it could mean low-interest loans or disaster grants to help repair homes or cover necessary expenses.

Smith said his office received many calls over the past several days from residents wanting to know about FEMA help. Now it’s a matter of waiting for a decision.

“It’s a frustrating thing for them, and I understand that, but it’s not a county issue. It’s a federal government issue,” Smith said.

If the county meets the criteria, the emergency services office will publicize the toll-free phone number residents will need to call for assistance.

As Carteret County waits for word on federal assistance, the emergency services offices continued to receive preliminary damage estimates.

Carteret-Craven Electric Cooperative and Harkers Island Electric Cooperative had reported infrastructure damage of $850,000 and $20,000 respectively.

The early estimate on Bogue Banks, where there was extensive damage to docks and marinas and homes and businesses on the sound, was well into the millions of dollars.

The Salter Path community, one of the hardest-hit areas, reported $2 million in business damage and $1.6 million in residential damage, Smith said. Atlantic Beach reported $16 million in residential and business losses.

Pine Knoll Shores reported $5 million in damages to public and private homes and facilities. Indian Beach had $537,000 in residential damage and $420,000 in business damage.

Other towns didn’t have a dollar figure to report but had compiled a total of structures damaged.

Emerald Isle listed six homes as destroyed, 129 with “major” damage and 410 with “minor” damage following a windshield survey.

Cape Carteret reported 105 homes in the town with heavy damage. Business damage included Lowes Foods and a bed and breakfast.

Beaufort reported damage to 154 homes as well as to the Rose’s store.

As Carteret County looks ahead to long-term recovery, various disaster relief agencies have been at work in the first days after the storm to provide assistance.

Volunteers with the Salvation Army, Red Cross of Coastal Carolina and the North Carolina Baptist Men manned feeding stations throughout the weekend in some of the hardest-hit areas of the county, providing meals to families without power and those beginning the process of cleaning up their homes.

The Red Cross and Salvation Army were involved in operating shelters and providing meals to evacuees during the storm.

On Monday, the Coastal Carolina chapter of the Red Cross still had caseworkers in the field and was expected to have more than 60 cases where they had given assistance to families in the county, including food, clothing and shelter, said executive director Michele Waggoner.

Waggoner said the Red Cross has provided temporary shelter for 10 families in the county who had to find an alternate place to stay either because of flooding or other damage to their homes.

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