BLADENBORO — Grants of $500,000 each have been designated for Bladenboro and Elizabethtown, and the latter is getting a $2 million loan to help with recovery from Hurricane Florence.

The two are among 11 that were named in a news release from the governor’s office on Friday. In total, there are $16.5 million in grants and no-interest loans.

The grants and loans are made through the North Carolina Office of Recovery and Resiliency.

Florence made landfall the morning of Sept. 14 near Wrightsville Beach, about an hour’s drive away from the heart of Bladen County. It was a category 1 hurricane when it did, and weakened to a tropical storm but remained in the area for about three days. The storm pulled moisture from the Atlantic Ocean and dumped it into southeastern North Carolina and northeastern South Carolina.

The following week, the Cape Fear River rose to levels not seen in three-quarters of a century.

The program providing the assistance is set up so that grants of up to $1 million are available to eligible local governments for short-term assistance with everyday operating expenses. This would include general payroll, certain non-disaster-related vendor payments and debt service.

Grants can be used to provide additional capacity for disaster recovery by funding up to two full-time positions, contracting for disaster recovery services, and purchasing a vehicle, the release said.

The no-interest loan applications can be for up to $2 million. These would assist with disaster-related expenses while waiting reimbursement from various federal disaster response, recovery and resiliency programs. Those approved repay the loan principal upon receipt of federal reimbursement.

Both programs pull funds from the State Disaster Recovery Act. There’s no deadline for applications, but the NCORR stops taking them when all funds are awarded.

Grants were also awarded to Lumberton ($500,000), Jones County ($1 million), Atlantic Beach ($500,000), Maysville ($450,000), Trenton ($405,000), Emerald Isle ($370,000) and Boardman ($200,000).

Loans of $2 million were also awarded to Lumberton, Jones County, Emerald Isle, Pamlico County and Boiling Springs Lakes, and a $130,000 loan went to Boardman.

File photo
Bladenboro was under water in the days after Hurricane Florence came through the area. It is getting assistance from a state recovery fund, as is Elizabethtown.
https://www.bladenjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/web1_bladenboro-1.jpegFile photo
Bladenboro was under water in the days after Hurricane Florence came through the area. It is getting assistance from a state recovery fund, as is Elizabethtown.

Alan Wooten

Bladen Journal

Alan Wooten can be reached at 910-247-9132 or awooten@bladenjournal.com. Twitter: @alanwooten19.