Gov. Perdue Makes Emergency Declaration for Western North Carolina

More than $9 million in Federal Funds Being Sought for Winter Storms

RALEIGH – Gov. Bev Perdue has signed an emergency declaration to help 15 western North Carolina counties to recover from the snow and ice storms that hit the state last month. The declaration of a State of Emergency is the first step in seeking federal funds to pay for debris clearing, emergency utility restoration and other damages. The state is seeking more than $9 million in federal funds.

“The federal assistance is needed to help our communities recover losses from the heavy snows, icing and flooding,” Perdue said.  “Power service was lost to thousands of residents, drinking water facilities were damaged and significant amounts of debris had to be cleared. I want to commend our local and state emergency management, law enforcement and transportation officials for their outstanding response and tireless work to respond to these storms.”

Local, state and federal crews surveyed damage throughout the area last week. Preliminary damage assessments indicate costs to recover from the back-to-back winter storms will exceed $12.5 million. Utility restoration accounts for more than half of the total bill, while debris removal accounts for about one third of the total cost. The N.C. Division of Emergency Management estimates the state will pay $3.1 million to recover from the winter storms; the federal government is being asked to reimburse the remainder.

The emergency declaration covers Alleghany, Avery, Ashe, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Haywood, Jackson, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Rutherford, Transylvania, Watauga and Yancey counties. Watauga ($3.3 million) and Madison ($1.8 million) counties incurred the most damage. Ashe, Avery, Burke and Haywood counties each sustained more than $1 million in damages.

The winter storms that began Dec. 18 blanketed much of the western part of the state with up to two feet of snow in a 48-hour period. The heavy snowfall stranded a number of motorists for hours, many sought refuge in shelters. Ice and snow from the storm knocked down trees, damaged roads and bridges and caused widespread power outages for thousands. A week later, heavy rains caused flooding and icing downing more trees and leading to additional power outages