Assistance now available for Hurricane Sandy victims

Gov. Bev Perdue today announced that financial assistance is available to help permanent residents and business owners in Dare, Currituck, Hyde and Tyrrell counties who suffered property damage from Hurricane Sandy. The aid is a result of the governor’s request for a disaster declaration by the U.S. Small Business Administration.

In addition, the North Carolina Division of Coastal Management has opened a field office on the Outer Banks to assist property owners with emergency general permits for beach bulldozing and other Coastal Area Management Act permits for Hurricane Sandy recovery.
 
“Many along our coast have spent the past year recovering from Hurricane Irene only to be impacted by Hurricane Sandy,” Gov. Perdue said today in a news release. “They need our help to recover and this funding will help do just that.”
 
Starting on Wednesday, Nov. 14, a U.S. Small Business Administration Disaster Loan Outreach Center will open in Kill Devil Hills to help individuals complete their applications, answer questions about the disaster loan program and explain the application process.

The center is located at the Thomas Baum Senior Center, 300 Mustian St. in Kill Devil Hills. It will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays through Monday, Nov. 19, and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 17. The center will be closed Sunday, Nov. 18.
 
Loans up to $200,000 are available through the SBA to homeowners to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate.  Homeowners and renters are also eligible for loans up to $40,000 to repair or replace damaged or destroyed personal property. 
 
Storm victims in Dare County who do not qualify for a federal loan may be eligible for a state grant of up to a maximum of $30,400 to help pay for housing and other essential needs. The state grants were made available as a result of the governor’s disaster declaration for Dare County.
 
Hurricane Sandy edged past the state Oct. 27 through 30, damaging dozens of homes and businesses in Dare County. Damage assessment teams from North Carolina Emergency Management and the SBA helped local officials survey the damage last week. Dare was the only county that met the threshold for a SBA disaster declaration. However, SBA policy enables residents and business owners in contiguous counties to also apply for financial assistance from the federal agency
 
Interest rates are as low as 1.688 percent for homeowners and renters with terms up to 30 years.  Loan amounts and terms are set by the SBA and are based on each applicant’s financial condition.
 
Individuals and businesses unable to visit the center can apply via the SBA Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955 (800-877-8339 for the deaf and hard-of-hearing) or
https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela/. 

The Division of Coastal Management opened an emergency field office on the Outer Banks earlier this week.

The office is located at the Pitt Center, 6 Skyline Road in Southern Shores. Office hours are from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. The phone number is 252-261-8281.

Oceanfront property owners with beach and dune erosion caused by Hurricane Sandy are now able to obtain a Coastal Area Management Act emergency general permit to allow beach bulldozing for the reconstruction of primary and frontal dune systems. The emergency permit regulations speed up the authorization process for permit approval. The rules also waive permit fees for these projects. The permit does not eliminate the need to obtain any other required state, local, or federal authorization.

Dee Freeman, secretary of the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources, activated the general permit for use in the Ocean and Inlet Hazard Areas of North Carolina’s eight oceanfront counties: Brunswick, Carteret, Currituck, Dare, Hyde, New Hanover, Onslow and Pender. Work authorized under the emergency general permits must be completed by May 1, 2013.

The permit may be used only to authorize beach bulldozing for the reconstruction of primary and frontal dune systems.

If you would like to apply for the emergency general permit, here’s how you can help Coastal Management review your request as quickly as possible:

Please make your request in person at the N.C. Division of Coastal Management office that covers your county: Pitt Center, 6 Skyline Road, Southern Shores (temporary office);1367 U.S. 17 South, Elizabeth City (Camden, Chowan, Currituck, Dare, Gates, Pasquotank and Perquimans counties); 400 Commerce Ave., Morehead City (Carteret, Craven and Pamlico counties, and the White Oak River bank in Onslow County); 943 Washington Square Mall, Washington (Beaufort, Bertie, Hertford, Hyde, Tyrrell and Washington counties); 127 Cardinal Drive Ext., Wilmington (Brunswick, New Hanover and Pender counties, Onslow County south of the New River, and Topsail Island).

Bring with you a description of the extent of the proposed dune reconstruction, including dimensions and shoreline length. Pre- and post-storm pictures of the project are helpful.

Provide your name, address, phone number and the project location. Include any detailed information that will be helpful, such as the state road number, the name of the water body and the name of the development.

If you have had any other CAMA permit on your property, please tell the division. Those permits may contain information that will help staff in the N.C. Division of Coastal Management review your repair or replacement request.

Property owners with questions should call their local N.C. Division of Coastal Management office: Elizabeth City, 252-264-3901; Morehead City, 252-808-2808 or 1-888-4RCOAST (1-888-472-6278); Washington, 252-946-6481; or Wilmington, 910-796-7215.