
US Sen. Ted Budd, R-NC, along with US Sen. Thom Tillis, R-NC, have introduced a bill in the Senate that will allow public assistance funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to be used for permanent repair of private roads and bridges that Hurricane Helene destroyed.
Private roads and bridges normally do not have access to federal funding.
The Restoring Access to Mountain Homes Act would reimburse local and state government officials for the repair costs of the only access that many mountain homes have to main roads and highways.
Currently, FEMA Individual Assistance is capped at $42,500 for all expenses. That amount is often exceeded by the cost of rebuilding private roads and bridges. North Carolina is estimating a $350 million gap between what is funded and what is required to rebuild the private roads and bridges relied on by many in mountainous regions. The funding directed from the bill would fill that gap.
“Mountain homes often require private roads and bridges to connect their property to main roads and highways,” Budd said in a press release. “Given FEMA’s Individual Assistance cap and the extensive cost of rebuilding these access points, I am proud to propose a bill that will allow the people of Western North Carolina to use Public Assistance dollars to regain access to their homes.”
US Rep. Chuck Edwards, R, NC-11, introduced similar legislation in the House. The bipartisan bill is co-led by US Rep. Don Davis, D, NC-01, and US Rep. Tim Moore, NC-14.
Edwards said in a press release that private roads make up almost half of all roads in western North Carolina, and according to the North Carolina Office of State Budget and Management, Hurricane Helene damaged over 7,000 of those private roads, bridges, and culverts.
“Every disaster response official I’ve heard from agrees on one thing: Hurricane Helene destroyed the greatest number of private roads and bridges they’ve ever seen in one disaster,” Edwards said in the release. “We’re entering month six since Helene hit our mountains, and there are still folks with limited access to many of our mountain homes. The Restoring Access to Mountain Homes Act would ease the burden on WNC families by allowing NCDOT and local governments to be reimbursed by FEMA for any repairs they make to private roads or bridges.”
NCDOT gave an update earlier this month on the state of closed roads and bridges.
As of Jan. 21, 1,426 roads were closed, but 1,251 roads (87.7%) have been reopened since the storm in late September. Also, 9307 damage sites, or portions of a roadway, including 83 bridges and 867 culverts, were identified due to the most destructive storm in the state’s history. It is also estimated that approximately 145 bridges will likely require replacement.
“The Restoring Access to Mountain Homes Act will provide local governments and the NC Department of Transportation the authority to repair essential infrastructure and receive reimbursement for those efforts, helping to ensure a smoother return to safety, stability, and peace of mind for those who depend on these vital connections to get to work, school, and go about their daily lives,” Davis said in the release. “We must ensure a timely and effective recovery for western NC.”
The post Private roads damaged by Helene may see federal funding under new bill first appeared on Carolina Journal.
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