Congressman Cawthorn Holds Virtual Roundtable on Flooding Assitance

On Thursday, September 23, 2021,Congressman Madison Cawthorn held a Virtual Roundtable on Flooding Assistance with representatives of four of the agencies assisting the victims of the recent flooding event due to the remnants of Tropical Storm Fred that caused extensive flooding in Haywood, Buncombe, and Transylvania Counties on August 17th. A federal disaster was declared on September 17th that allowed federal resources and funds to be used in recovery efforts. If you have problems with getting assistance, contact Madison Cawthorn's office at https://cawthorn.house.gov/contact  or at at one of the following office locations:

Washington DC Office
102 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-6401

Hendersonville District Office
200 North Grove Street
Suite 121
Hendersonville, NC 28792
Phone: (828) 435-7310

Burnsville District Office
113 Green Mountain Drive
Burnsville, NC 28714
Phone: (828) 808-2148

Franklin District Office
5 West Main Street, Office 330
Franklin, NC 28734
Phone: (828) 452-6022

Waynesville District Office
285 N. Main Street, Room 1300
Waynesville, NC 28786
Phone: (828) 452-6022

The participants in the virtual roundtable were,

Joe Stanton, NC Dept of Public Safety, Emergency Management;
John Boyle, Federal coordinating Officer from FEMA; Contact Info (800) 621-3362 or www.disasterassistance.gov
Kathy Cook, Small Business Administration; and
Rob Satterfield of the USDA Farm Service Agency.

The roundtable can be viewed on the video player embedded below:

Virtual Roundtable on Flooding Assistance





Support Macon Media

If you receive value from what Macon Media provides to the community, please consider becoming a supporter and contribute at least a dollar a month. Those who support Macon Media with at least a dollar a month receive early access to video of some events and meetings before they are made public on the website. Videos and news involving public safety are not subject to early access.



Become a Patron!


Or, if you prefer Pay Pal, try PayPal.me/MaconMedia

Author: Bobby Coggins
Published at 12:45am on Friday, September 24, 2021

Read More

Governor Cooper Requests Federal Major Disaster Declaration for Western Counties after Tropical Storm Fred

PRESS RELEASE (08-27-2021)
NC GOVERNOR

Today, Governor Roy Cooper requested that President Biden issue a federal major disaster declaration following Tropical Storm Fred for western North Carolina counties that suffered extensive damages from flooding and landslides.

“The people of Western North Carolina took a devastating blow from Tropical Storm Fred’s flooding,” said Gov. Cooper. “Federal assistance is needed to help rebuild and become more resilient ahead of future storms.” 

The Governor requested the Individual Assistance program to support homeowners and renters in Buncombe, Haywood and Transylvania counties and the Public Assistance program to reimburse costs for repairs to public facilities and infrastructure in Avery, Buncombe, Haywood, Madison, Transylvania, Yancey and Watauga counties.

If granted, the Individual Assistance program provides financial assistance and direct services to eligible individuals and households affected by disaster.

Public Assistance provides reimbursement to local governments and publicly-owned utilities for the costs for debris removal, life-saving emergency protective measures and the repair, replacement or restoration of disaster-damaged publicly owned facilities and the facilities of certain private nonprofit organizations.

Five people died as a result of the storm and one person remains missing. Damage assessment is still underway, but so far damages are estimated to exceed $20 million to infrastructure alone across the western counties.

Read the Governor’s request letter HERE

Read More

Rock Wall Repair Requires U.S. 19/23 East Closure Eastbound detour starts Monday, westbound to remain open

— Photo courtesy Canton Police Department via NC Dept of Transportation

 CANTON – A contractor for the N.C. Department of Transportation will use an accelerated plan to replace the retaining wall on U.S. 19/23 in Haywood County damaged by Tropical Storm Fred.

The eastbound lane will be closed starting Monday from Canton to the Buncombe County line to expedite the wall repairs, which will take up to three weeks. Local traffic will have access to locations east of the construction area from Wiggins Road.

Eastbound drivers passing through Haywood County will be detoured onto Bridge Street, Champion Drive (N.C. 215) and Interstate 40. Drivers may then exit I-40 at Wiggins Road (Exit 37) to access U.S. 19/23 (Smoky Park Highway) and drive in either direction. 

The westbound lane of U.S. 19/23 will remain open while the wall is replaced. Drivers should slow down and be alert for workers.

Crews from GeoStabilization International will build a soil-nail wall to replace the rock gravity retaining wall that fell onto the highway during the downpours of Aug. 17. The equipment and physical space required to construct the repairs necessitate closing the eastbound lane. 

“This is one of more than 150 sites that need some sort of repair from Fred,” Division 14 Maintenance Engineer Wesley Grindstaff said. “Replacing the wall and reopening the highway is near the top of our priority list for safety as well as connecting Haywood and Buncombe counties.”

For real-time travel information, visit DriveNC.gov or follow NCDOT on social media.

Read More