Last year, the Town applied for and received approximately $3.2 million through the State Treasurer’s Cashflow Loan Program. The loan must be repaid after all FEMA appeals are resolved and the related projects are closed out. The Town also received $63,000 in insurance proceeds for damage to Town Hall and a Public Works building. Together, these funds have allowed the Town to pay for essential contracted services, including engineering, landscape architecture, and debris removal.
Since March 2026, the Town has received $806,000 through FEMA’s Public Assistance program. These reimbursements exceed the Town’s related expenditures during the same period, which shows encouraging progress in the recovery process. The consistent flow of FEMA funds is helping the Town continue work that directly benefits residents.
FEMA and NC Emergency Management (NCEM) have approved multiple major recovery efforts as large projects (a project or group of damages that costs more than $1,037,862), including Rhododendron Lake Nature Park, the Rowland/Roberts landslide, and the 12-culvert project. These approvals confirm that the Town provided the proper documentation needed to support reimbursement eligibility and the system works as designed. As we transition from the administrative and pre-construction phase into construction, the Town will request reimbursements for expenses in real time. Your Town Council continues to manage limited resources responsibly by avoiding unnecessary debt while keeping steady progress on hurricane recovery.
To date, NCEM reimbursements have generally arrived within weeks after the Town pays a vendor - a much shorter timeframe than initially anticipated. This progress reflects careful coordination, thorough documentation, and sustained work by the Town Council and staff on behalf of residents.