Perdue issues disaster declaration making aid available

Tornado victims are eligible for up to $30,400 in grants from the state after Gov. Bev Perdue on Wednesday issued a disaster declaration for Burke and Rutherford counties.

“I will make sure that any possible aid is provided to those who suffered damages from the tornadoes and other severe weather,” Perdue said. “It is critical that we help get our fellow North Carolinians back in their homes as soon as possible.”

The declaration makes available individual assistance for victims of the storms, typically in the form of grants for housing and other essential needs.

“We’re certainly pleased the governor’s office was able to do this,” Burke County Manager Bryan Steen said. “I’m sure it’s going to be a benefit to many of the victims.”

Steen thanked state legislators Rep. Mitch Gillespie, Rep. Hugh Blackwell and Sen. Warren Daniel for their support and efforts on the state government level.

Perdue, with the support of U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan, has also asked the U.S. Small Business Administration for a disaster declaration.

An SBA disaster declaration would make low-interest loans available for homeowners, renters and businesses that suffered damage from the storms.

“Since the storms struck our state, my staff has been in contact with local and state officials about how my office can assist at a federal level,” Hagan said. “I encourage the Small Business Administration to act swiftly so that our communities can make a full recovery as quickly as possible.”

An EF2 tornado with winds of up to 130 mph struck in Hildebran and Icard on Jan. 11, leaving a 3.6 mile long path of destruction that stretched 300 yards wide in some areas.

County officials, North Carolina Emergency Management and the SBA assessed the areas of damage Thursday and Friday.

The tornado destroyed 34 buildings and caused major damage to 41 in Burke. Officials estimate the storm caused $13.4 million in property damage to 168 buildings.

The county will also try to seek help from a US Department of Agriculture program that helps farmers whose land has been damaged by natural disasters.

Steen said in addition to the large number of volunteers, charities and churches, area municipalities have helped with the cleanup efforts by sending over knuckle boom trucks.

The City of Morganton, Town of Valdese, Town of Longview, Town of Maiden and City of Hickory have each sent one brush truck with a crew to pick up tree limbs, stumps and brush in the area, said Burke County General Services Director Carson Fisher. The Town of Conover has also offered its help.

County employees are on the scene operating machinery, loading materials into containers and transporting debris to the landfill, Fisher said.

The BRIDGE program from the U.S. Forest Service is also on the scene, helping cut up vegetative debris into manageable pieces and sorting piles of material for county workers to pick up, Fisher said.

Private contractors are helping out too, Fisher said. A contractor with M&P Roofing donated his resources to help pick up construction and demolition material, which helped “tremendously.”

The county, along with N.C. Emergency Management, is working on establishing a satellite office at Hildebran Town Hall, said Steen. For a limited time, staff from building inspections, the planning department and environmental health would be available at the office.

The satellite office would make it easier for people to obtain the permits they need without driving to Morganton, said Steen.

A temporary ordinance allowing RVs at sites where homes are being repaired is in development, said Steen.

The county has already waived service fees related to building inspections, the landfill and health inspections to alleviate the impact on tornado victims.

“We’re trying to make this as simple as we possibly can to help our neighbors get their lives back together,” Steen said.