Hyde residents deadline to apply for FEMA grants to elevate homes is Friday

Ocracoke village after Hurricane Dorian's landfall on Sept. 6, 2019. [NWS Newport/Morehead City photo]

Homeowners in Hyde County can apply for Federal Emergency Management Agency funding to elevate their homes.

The county announced Wednesday that Hazard Mitigation Grant Program Hurricane Dorian, DR-4465, funds have been made available. The Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, or HMGP, covers 100% of funding to reduce or eliminate the risk of flood damage to buildings and structures.

Completed applications must be received by close of business Jan. 24. Hyde County will submit applications to the State of North Carolina and FEMA for review and evaluation. Submission of an application is no guarantee of funding.

To qualify, the home must be the primary residence, the owner agrees to carry flood insurance after elevation, and the home must be structurally capable of elevating. Having flood insurance coverage is not required to submit an application.

Hyde County accepts common housing assistance applications at any time from property owners at the Government Center in Swan Quarter who need help with housing needs.

After Hurricane Dorian, Hyde County began accepting common housing applications Sept. 30, 2019, from those with housing damage and needs. Applications were accepted on Ocracoke in October and November at the North Carolina Emergency Management Joint Resource Center in the Ocracoke Variety Store parking lot.

The application does not promise funding but gives county staff the necessary information to match the needs of property owners with resources that may come available through state and federal grant opportunities, including but not limited to HMGP funds. Assistance typically comes in the form of elevations, reconstructions and acquisitions.

Contact Rosemary Johnson at 252.926.4178 or rjohnson@hydecountync.gov to verify that there is an application on file for consideration or to file an application or visit the Ocracoke Community Center office from 9 a.m. to noon Tuesday and Thursday to fill out an application.

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