Biden OKs the N.C. emergency declaration

Biden OKs the N.C. emergency declaration

WASHINGTON—FEMA announced today that the state of North Carolina can get government disaster aid to help with its response to the emergency caused by Hurricane Helene that started on September 24 and is still going on.

By the president’s order, FEMA is now in charge of coordinating all disaster relief efforts to help save lives, protect property, public health and safety, and lessen or avoid the threat of a disaster. This is to make life easier for people in the affected area and ease their suffering.

The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, as well as state, tribal, and eligible local governments and some private nonprofits, can get federal funding to help pay for emergency safety measures.

This includes getting direct federal help for Buncombe, Burke, Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Swain, Transylvania, and Yancey counties.

Federal money is also available for emergency safety measures, but only for direct federal help and reimbursement for mass care, such as helping people evacuate and find shelter in Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Caldwell, Catawba, Cleveland, Gaston, Iredell, Lincoln, Watauga, and Wilkes counties.

Finally, federal funding is also available for emergency protective measures limited to direct federal assistance for Alamance, Anson, Beaufort, Bertie, Bladen, Brunswick, Cabarrus, Camden, Carteret, Caswell, Chatham, Chowan, Columbus, Craven, Cumberland, Currituck, Dare, Davidson, Davie, Duplin, Durham, Edgecombe, Forsyth, Franklin, Gates, Granville, Greene, Guilford, Halifax, Harnett, Hertford, Hoke, Hyde, Johnston, Jones, Lee, Lenoir, Martin, Mecklenburg, Montgomery, Moore, Nash, New Hanover, Northampton, Onslow, Orange, Pamlico, Pasquotank, Pender, Perquimans, Person, Pitt, Randolph, Richmond, Robeson, Rockingham, Rowan, Sampson, Scotland, Stanly, Stokes, Surry, Tyrrell, Union, Vance, Wake, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Wilson and Yadkin counties.

In the area that was hit, E. Craig Levy, Sr. has been named the government coordinating officer for recovery efforts.

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