N.C. Gov. Reports $12.5M in Hurricane Recovery Funds Available for Hyde County, Canton

North Carolina Gov. Mike Easley announced that a total of $12.5 million in hurricane recovery funds have been directed to Hyde County and the Town of Canton in Haywood County.

The funds were appropriated by the Hurricane Recovery Act of 2005, which Easley signed into law in February. Hyde County will use funds for the reconstruction of its courthouse complex. The Town of Canton will use money for repairs for its wastewater treatment plant.

“These funds will go a long way toward helping these two communities get back on their feet,” Easley said. “This is just one more step in the ongoing recovery process. We will continue to work to get resources where they are needed most quickly as possible.”

Hyde County is receiving $8 million and the Town of Canton will receive $4.5 million.

Hyde County will use the grant funds for repair and/or replacement of the county courthouse and county buildings, which are part of the courthouse annex damaged by Hurricane Isabel in 2003. The county will purchase and maintain adequate flood insurance coverage on all facilities included in the grant to protect against the cost of future damages.

The Town of Canton will use grant funds for the repair of the wastewater treatment plant owned by Blue Ridge Paper Products Inc. and used by the town. The plant was damaged during both Hurricanes Frances and Ivan in 2004. Funding for the plant includes money for repair and upgrade of flood levees, flood gates and pumps, erosion control, elevating electrical controls and repair of sewer lines. The town will also purchase flood insurance for the treatment plant.

The Hurricane Recovery Act of 2005 appropriated $247 million in state funding to provide disaster assistance to citizens, businesses and public agencies that sustained damage from one or more of the seven hurricanes and tropical storms that hit North Carolina in 2004.

The Act also included a special provision for the Hyde County Courthouse, which was damaged in 2003. With federal funding, the total amount of money Easley has directed to storm relief since last year will exceed $350 million.