How will Orange County pay for about $30 million in Chantal flooding repairs?
TRANSPORT US TO BEAR.
>> WE ALWAYS LOOK AT THIS IN
THE PERSPECTIVE OF THIS SECOND
DISASTER. THAT'S YOUR QUOTE OF
THE DAY FROM ORANGE COUNTY'S
EMERGENCY SERVICES DIRECTOR
KIRBY SAUNDERS. HE'S TALKING
ABOUT HOW THE COUNTY RESPONSE
TO FLOODING FROM CHANTAL.
THE FIRST DISASTER IS THE STORM
ITSELF. THE SECOND DISASTER IS
HOW WE PAY TO FIX THE DAMAGE.
AND THERE IS A LOT OF DAMAGE
WASHED OUT ROADS, PROPERTY
DAMAGE, WATER TREATMENT PLANTS
SHUT DOWN. AND THEN THERE'S THE
DAMAGE WE CAN'T FIX. RIGHT?
6 PEOPLE KILLED, INCLUDING THIS
WOMAN WHO WAS ON HER WAY TO
WORK THE ATLANTIC COAST IS
ABOUT 120 MILES AWAY FROM
ORANGE COUNTY. SO IT MAKES
SENSE THAT A STORM LIKE CHANTEL
CAME AS A SURPRISE TO MANY
PEOPLE. BUT NOT TO THE PEOPLE
IN CHARGE. NOW THEY'VE KNOWN
FLOODING LIKE THIS WAS POSSIBLE
AND THEY GOT MILLIONS OF
DOLLARS FROM FEMA TO HELP
PREPARE. BUT THIS PAST SPRING,
THAT FUNDING WENT AWAY. HERE'S
A PART OF THE LETTER. THE TOWN
OF HILLSBOROUGH CENTER, FEMA
IN 2021. IT SAYS NORTH CAROLINA
IS ALSO EXPECTED TO EXPERIENCE
MORE FREQUENT AND SEVERE RIVER
RHINE FLOODING EVENTS. THE
CURRENT RPS LOCATED WITHIN THE
FLOODWAY IS VULNERABLE TO THESE
CHANGING PLUME VEAL AND RIVER
AND FLOOD CONDITIONS. A QUICK
GOOGLE SEARCH PLUME FEEL
APPARENTLY MEANS A PERIOD
MARKED BY INCREASED RAINFALL.
YOU CAN SAY THAT NIGHT CHANTEL
HIT WAS DEFINITELY PLUME.
FEEL YOU'LL NOTICE THE TOWN
ALSO USE THAT ACRONYM RPS
THAT'S RIVER PUMP STATION.
HILLSBOROUGH HAS HAD PROBLEMS
WITH ITS RIVER PUMP STATION IN
THE PAST AND DURING CHANTEL,
THE FACILITY FLOODED SENDING
75% OF THE TOWN SEWAGE SPILLING
INTO THE EU KNOW RIVER FEMA
AWARDED HILLSBOROUGH 5.8, 1
MILLION DOLLARS TO MOVE THE
PUMP STATION OUT OF A FLOOD
HAZARD AREA. THE MONEY CAME
FROM THE BUILDING, RESILIENT
INFRASTRUCTURE AND COMMUNITIES
OR BREAK PROGRAM. BUT IN APRIL,
THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION
CANCELED THAT PROGRAM CALLING
IT WASTEFUL AND INEFFECTIVE.
THE MOVE POLLED THE FUNDING
FOR HILLSBOROUGH AND MORE THAN
A DOZEN OTHER NORTH CAROLINA
COMMUNITIES THAT WERE COUNTING
ON THIS. AND NOW HILLSBOROUGH,
AS MAYOR IS LIKE. WE TOLD YOU
SO.
THE IMPACT OF TROPICAL STORM
SEAN TOLL ON THE RIVER PUMP
STATION IS EXACTLY THE TYPE
OF SCENARIO.
>> THAT BRICK GRANTS WERE
INTENDED TO PROTECT THE PUBLIC
AGAINST.
>> AND THE RIVER PUMP STATION
IS JUST THE BEGINNING. ORANGE
COUNTY ESTIMATES DAMAGE FROM
CHANTAL WILL COST MORE THAN
30 MILLION DOLLARS. WHERE ARE
THEY GOING TO GET THE MONEY FOR
THIS AND HOW ARE THEY GOING TO
PAY FOR THE UPGRADES TO
MITIGATE FUTURE
FLOODING ISSUES? A BROADER
QUESTION TO ORANGE COUNTY'S
EMERGENCY SERVICES DIRECTOR.
SO ESSENTIALLY AND PARDON THE
PUN. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A
COPIOUS AMOUNTS OF RAIN HERE.
BUT IT'S NOT LIKE THERE'S A
RAINY DAY FUND THAT CAN COVER
ALL OF THIS.
>> CERTAINLY NOT THE MOST LOCAL
GOVERNMENTS AND INDIVIDUALS
ALIKE. SOME ARE FORTUNATE TO
HAVE FUNDS AND MOST LOCAL
GOVERNMENTS ADMINISTRATION.
WE OPERATE IN THE THINNEST OF
MARGINS THEY'RE DEFINITELY NOT
RESERVES FUNDS. AMELIA
AVAILABLE. YOU KNOW, ALL OF OUR
FUNDING DOES COME FROM
TAXPAYERS. SO WE ALWAYS LOOK AT
THIS IN THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE
SECOND DISASTER, THERE'S THE
PHYSICAL FIRST DISASTER OF THE
STORM ITSELF AND THE IMPACTS
ITS CALLS FROM RESIDENTS AND
THE SECOND DISASTER COULD
POTENTIALLY BE THE PAY TO PAY
FOR THOSE PUBLIC DAMAGE COSTS.
AND WE WANT TO AVOID AT ALL
POSSIBLE, ESPECIALLY IN ANOTHER
HIT TO TAXPAYERS. SO THIS IS
A SITUATION WHERE WE HAVE TO BE
REALLY CREATIVE. WE HAVE TO BE
COLLABORATIVE AMONGST LOCAL
GOVERNMENTS AND WE HAVE TO US,
YOU KNOW, OPEN THE DOORS ARE
POSSIBLE AVENUES OF ADDITIONAL
OUTSIDE ASSISTANCE. HOW MUCH
DOES ORANGE COUNTY NEED TO DO
TO GET ITS INFRASTRUCTURE WHERE
IT NEEDS TO BE IN ORDER TO
WITHSTAND THE STORMS? THAT
SEEMED TO BE GROWING IN
FREQUENCY AND PERHAPS EVEN MORE
IMPORTANTLY GROWING IN
INTENSITY.
>> IT'S REALLY GREAT QUESTION.
AND I'M FORCED DON'T HAVE THE
ALL THE ANSWERS FOR THAT.
I WILL SAY WE DO HAVE HAZARD
MITIGATION PLAN THAT OUTLINES
STRATEGIES AND ACTIONS THAT
WE KNOW WE NEED TO TAKE AND
HAVE ENDORSED TAKING. I WAS I'M
NOT A LOT RIGHT NOW. A LOT OF
THAT. THOSE ACTIONS ARE.
BY MARS DEPENDENT ON OUTSIDE
SOURCES OF FUNDS, NOT MANY
LOCAL GOVERNMENTS HAVE PROGRAMS
IN THE CAPABILITIES TO FUND
SAY ACQUISITION PROJECTS ON
THEIR OWN. WE'RE WE'RE
ACQUIRING A CAR IN FLOOD-PRONE
PROPERTIES, RESIDENTIAL
STRUCTURES. A LOT IS DEPENDENT
ARE LINE ON STATE FUNDING AS
WELL AS FEMA FEDERAL FUNDING
TO SUPPORT THOSE PROJECTS.
THEY DON'T KNOW HOW THEY'RE
GOING TO PAY FOR THE REPAIRS.
>> AND THEY DON'T KNOW HOW
THEY'RE GOING TO PAY FOR
UPGRADES TO MITIGATE FUTURE
FLOOD RISKS. ANOTHER OPTION IS
THE NORTH CAROLINA EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT. THEY HAVE AN OPEN
APPLICATION PERIOD FOR HAZARD
MITIGATION PROJECTS AND SO
UNDER SAYS ORANGE COUNTY WILL
CONTINUE TRYING THAT OPTION
AMONG OTHERS. BUT IF THESE
GRANT PROGRAMS FROM THE FEDS
AND THE STATE DON'T COME
THROUGH CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE
UPGRADES FOR LOCAL COMMUNITIES
COULD GET DELAYED FOR MONTHS.
HILLSBOROUGH OFFICIALS SAY THE
LOSS OF FEMA FUNDING FOR THAT
PUMPING STATION SET THEM BACK
AT LEAST 6 TO 8 MONTHS IN.
THAT'S JUST ONE EXAMPLE.
ONE COMMUNITY, THESE STORMS
ARE GOING TO KEEP COMING.
SO JUST LIKE HERBIE SAUNDERS,
STATE AND FEDERAL LAW MAKERS
NEED TO BE THINKING ABOUT THE
SECOND DISASTER. THE PUBLIC