The State of North Carolina and FEMA are announcing more than $15.8 million to reimburse expenses to restore hurricane- and tropical storm-related beach damage.
The funds include reimbursing the replacement of beach sand in the Town of Holden Beach. Storm surges from Hurricane Florence damaged the coastal community’s beach.
Holden Beach will replenish with more than 722,000 cubic yards of sand and more than 2,500 square yards of plants damaged during Hurricane Florence. The sand equals more than seven times the amount of concrete in Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium.
The recent funding for Holden Beach is in addition to $8.5 million approved earlier this month for Tropical Storm Michael-related beach damage.
FEMA’s Public Assistance program provides grants for state and local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations to reimburse the cost of debris removal, emergency protective measures and permanent repair work.
Public Assistance is a cost-sharing program. FEMA reimburses applicants at least 75 percent of eligible costs, and the remaining 25 percent is covered by the state. The federal share is paid directly to the state, which disburses funds to agencies, local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations that incurred costs.
FEMA’s share for the latest Holden Beach project is more than $11.8 million and the state’s share is more than $3.9 million.
More than $107 million has been approved to restore North Carolina beaches since the 2018 storms. In addition to Holden Beach, the towns of Emerald Isle, Indian Beach, Pine Knoll Shores and Topsail Beach have been approved for beach restoration funding.
For more information on North Carolina’s recovery from Hurricane Florence, visit ncdps.gov/Florence and FEMA.gov/Disaster/4393. Follow us on Twitter: @NCEmergency and @FEMARegion4.
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FEMA’s mission: Helping people before, during and after disasters.