Topics Related to Hurricane Florence

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has approved $3.9 million to reimburse Pender County for removal of debris following Hurricane Florence.

Following Hurricane Florence, Pender County hired contractors to remove vegetation and other debris from public rights of way throughout the county. The work was completed Nov. 5.

Six months after what state officials say is the costliest disaster in North Carolina history, recovery from Hurricane Florence has made significant progress. State and federal agencies, volunteers and nonprofits continue to work together. 

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has approved $41.5 million to reimburse the North Carolina Emergency Management for emergency response activities during Hurricane Florence, which struck the state in September 2018.

Emergency response efforts included search and rescue costs, setting up emergency staging areas, operating emergency shelters throughout the state, running four emergency operations centers, conducting evacuations and making emergency purchases. 

Transitional Sheltering Assistance (TSA), which pays for hotel or motel rooms as short-term, emergency sheltering for eligible Hurricane Florence survivors ends Tuesday, March 12. 

To date 871 households have sheltered in TSA participating hotels, 646 have found suitable, longer-term housing and moved on with their recovery. As of Feb. 24, 225 households remain checked in to hotels.

Help is now available for local governments working to recover from Hurricane Florence, with more than $7 million in grants and loans already provided, Governor Roy Cooper announced today.The North Carolina Office of Recovery and Resiliency (NCORR) has launched two programs to assist local governments that are struggling financially in the wake of Hurricane Florence.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has approved $54 million to the North Carolina Office of Emergency Management for instituting the Sheltering and Temporary Essential Power (STEP) program following Hurricane Florence, which struck the area in September 2018.

The STEP program, which is free to participating eligible homeowners in 12 counties, was instituted at the request of North Carolina Emergency Management. This program provides partial, temporary repairs so Hurricane Florence survivors can return to their homes while longer-term repairs continue.

Disaster survivors can get tips and advice on how to rebuild stronger against future storm damage at several Lowe’s home improvement stores in eastern North Carolina Feb. 19 through Feb. 27.

FEMA mitigation specialists can answer questions about home repair, making disaster plans, putting together supply kits and the importance of flood insurance.

Mitigation is the effort to reduce the loss of life and property damage by lessening the impact of future disasters. The mitigation specialists will be available at the following locations and times:

Disaster survivors can get tips and advice on how to rebuild stronger against future storm damage at the Lowe’s in Sanford Feb. 19 through Feb. 27.

FEMA mitigation specialists can answer questions about home repair, making disaster plans, putting together supply kits and the importance of flood insurance.

Mitigation is the effort to reduce the loss of life and property damage by lessening the impact of future disasters. The mitigation specialists will be available at:

Area residents can get tips and advice on how to protect their families and their homes from future disasters at community mitigation resiliency workshops.

Before Hurricane Florence arrived, you may have thought your home would never flood. At this event, FEMA mitigation specialists will help you find your home on the floodplain map and explain what that means to you. You might be surprised to learn where your home is on this map and how that will impact you and your loved ones in the future.

North Carolina residents whose lives were upended by Hurricane Florence may be eligible to get a case manager to help them with their recovery.


FEMA approved the State of North Carolina’s request for the Disaster Case Management program for use in the counties affected by the flooding that followed Hurricane Florence. The grant provides disaster case management services for up to 24 months.