Hurricane Helene left more than 400 homes in Burke County damaged. Some homeowners could get help from the federal and state governments to prevent the same thing happening in the future.
North Carolina has received $1.5 billion from the federal government for the program, which helps pay for homes to be moved out of areas prone to damage, said Burke County Manager Brian Epley.
The county reports that the storm completely destroyed nine properties, 234 properties suffered major damage and 147 properties had minor damage, while 28 others were affected.
Some of the areas where homes suffered major damage from flooding include Creekside Drive in Morganton, businesses along Sanford Drive and Carbon City Road in Morganton, homes in the Eagles Landing development in Glen Alpine, homes along Powerhouse Road near Lake James and Catawba Avenue and Creek View Drive in Rhodhiss, according to a county map of damage.
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On Sept. 28, a group surveys the damage to the nine homes belonging to the extended White family along Powerhouse Road in Glen Alpine. The homes were damaged or washed away by the flooding of the Catawba River below the Lake James dam as a result of rain from the remnants of Hurricane Helene. The family said all nine houses were damaged or washed away, along with a number of outbuildings.
The FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant program allows homeowners to apply for three options. According to information from Epley, those options are:
- The elevation project
- raises the home as is, demolishes the old foundation, and builds a new foundation that raises the first floor 2 feet above the 100-year flood elevation. The homeowner is provided temporary housing while the work is done. Nothing is moved out of the home.
- The mitigation reconstruction project
- is used when a home cannot be raised due to instability. All household furnishings are moved out and stored, temporary housing is provided, the old home is demolished, a new foundation is built at 2 feet above 100-year flood elevation and a new contractor-grade home is built on the foundation.
- The
- buys the property from the homeowner, at the pre-storm market value of the property the day prior to the disaster. Once the owner relocates, the home is demolished and the property becomes federal- or state-owned greenspace. Epley said if the federal government buys the property, it would no longer be on the tax rolls.
While the Hazard Mitigation Grant program is federally funded, it is managed by North Carolina Department of Public Safety’s Division of Emergency Management, according to the state.
On Jan. 23, the North Carolina Department of Public Safety will be at Foothills Higher Education Center in 鶹ý from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. to help those who suffered damage apply for the FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program. Foothills Higher Education Center is located at 2128 S. Sterling St., 鶹ý.
For more information on the program, visit or .
