North Carolina Governor Easley Requests Disaster Declaration For Bertie County

Meets With Local Emergency Response Officials And Tours Tornado Damage In Onslow County

5/14/2008 -- Raleigh - North Carolina Governor Mike Easley today sent a letter to the Small Business Administration (SBA) requesting a disaster declaration for residents in Bertie County who suffered damage from the tornado that hit on Sunday. The declaration makes residents and business owners in Bertie County eligible for low-interest loans to assist with repairs. Easley also met today with local emergency response officials and conducted an aerial tour of tornado damage in Onslow County.

“The residents in Bertie and Onslow counties whose homes were damaged or destroyed by the tornadoes have a long recovery process ahead and the state is going to do everything we can to assist in these efforts,” said Easley. “I commend state and local emergency management, local government, and the many volunteers in Eastern North Carolina who are working together to help home and business owners repair, rebuild and get life back to normal in these communities.”

If the SBA declaration is approved for Bertie County, individuals would also be eligible for financial help from the state disaster assistance program. Under the state disaster assistance program, people would first have to apply for the SBA loans. Those who did not qualify for SBA loans would be eligible to receive state aid in the form of grants for such things as temporary housing and rental assistance, repair or replacement of dwellings, repair or replacement of privately-owned vehicles, and replacement of personal property including clothing, tools and equipment. Bertie County residents can apply for financial assistance at the Red Cross shelter at the Mount Olive Baptist Church located on 102 Mount Olive Road in Windsor.

A Small Business Association disaster declaration requires a county to have 25 or more homes or businesses with 40 percent or more uninsured damage.

On Monday, Easley dispatched preliminary damage assessment teams comprised of state and local officials to Bertie, Onslow and Jones counties to assess damage. The teams found that Bertie County had 30 homes that were destroyed or suffered major damage and were not covered by insurance.

In Onslow County, six homes and one business were destroyed. Nine structures suffered major damage, six suffered minor damage. Most homes were insured.

A total of 12 people were injured in the storms in Bertie and Onslow counties. As many as 16 tornadoes were reported to have moved through the eastern part of the state on Sunday.

Source: North Carolina Governor

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