Governor Roy Cooper urged Senators Thom Tillis and Richard Burr to implore the federal government to approve Individual Assistance for those affected by Hurricane Dorian. Following Hurricane Dorian’s impacts on September 5th and 6th, Gov. Cooper requested Individual Assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) on September 21st, which has not yet been approved by the federal government.
“I implore you to use your influence to encourage the President to grant Individual Assistance to Carteret, Dare, Hyde, and New Hanover counties, as I requested on September 21,” wrote Gov. Cooper. “Individual Assistance would provide federal dollars to individuals to cover Temporary Housing Assistance, lodging expenses reimbursement, home repair, home replacement, housing construction, and funds related to other disaster caused losses and damage.”
President Trump granted Gov. Cooper’s request for Public Assistance on October 4th, providing funding that will aid 14 counties on their recovery efforts. Gov. Cooper additionally asked for Individual Assistance to be provided to residents of Carteret, Dare, Hyde, and New Hanover counties. He has also asked FEMA to provide Public Assistance for 12 additional counties.
Read the full letter below, or CLICK HERE. To read Gov. Cooper’s request to President Trump for Individual Assistance, CLICK HERE.
Dear Senator Burr and Senator Tillis:
It has now been more than a month since Hurricane Dorian ravaged the North Carolina coast on September 5th and 6th, leaving homes destroyed and livelihoods lost from Cape Fear to Cape Hatteras. Ocracoke Island in Hyde County bore the brunt of Dorian’s impact, and its residents continue to face difficult conditions as they await more help. My administration mobilized quickly in the days leading up to and following Hurricane Dorian’s impact, and have been working hand in hand with the Hyde County government to provide relief and services. We will continue to do that until Ocracoke and the North Carolina coast are fully recovered.
Last Friday President Trump granted my request for a federal disaster declaration and Public Assistance across 14 North Carolina counties, including Hyde. I’ve since asked FEMA to expand Public Assistance to 12 additional counties in eastern North Carolina. We’re grateful for that public assistance, and it will be vital in making sure that these county governments maintain their financial stability and capacity to continue serving their residents and responding to future disasters.
Now that we can be confident in assistance for local governments, we must ensure the health and safety of individual disaster survivors. I implore you to use your influence to encourage the President to grant Individual Assistance to Carteret, Dare, Hyde, and New Hanover counties, as I requested on September 21. Individual Assistance would provide federal dollars to individuals to cover Temporary Housing Assistance, lodging expenses reimbursement, home repair, home replacement, housing construction, and funds related to other disaster caused losses and damage.
The storms North Carolina has weathered the last several years have been unprecedented. Last month, we observed the first anniversary of Hurricane Florence’s impact, and this week we mark three years since Hurricane Matthew wreaked havoc on our state for days on end. It is our responsibility to make these funds available to survivors, and to ensure the public’s understanding of the disaster recovery system that they unfortunately find themselves using time and time again.
With kind regards, I am
Very truly yours,
Roy Cooper