ROCKINGHAM — Richmond County will receive two of 24 generators which “will help North Carolina communities become more resilient in the face of future storms and disasters,” according to a press release from the N.C. Department of Public Safety.
More than $1.4 million in funding for the generators — through the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program — was approved by FEMA and the state.
The program “provides grants for state and local governments to elevate, buy out or reconstruct homes and to strengthen public infrastructure to make communities better able to withstand future storms and disasters,” according to the press release.
The Richmond County generators will go to the Hoffman and Ellerbe pump stations to “ensure ongoing delivery of water.” The Hoffman station will get a 150kW generator , while the Ellerbe station will receive a 200kW generator.
“We were thrilled that we were granted two generators for backup use at our Ellerbe and Hoffman Pump Stations,” said County Manager Bryan Land. “These generators will play a crucial role during down times to maintain water service to our citizens throughout Richmond County. Donna Wright (emergency services director) and her team did an outstanding job with writing the grants to land these generators.”
FEMA provides at least 75% of costs, and the remaining 25% is covered by the state, according to the release.
After each disaster event, an amount equal to 20% of the combined total provided in FEMA Individual Assistance and Public Assistance is set aside for Hazard Mitigation projects. The projects can be anywhere in the state.
For Hurricane Matthew, $90 million in federal and state funds are being invested in Hazard Mitigation projects,. Last spring and summer, projects totaling $88.1 million were awarded to dozens of local governments to elevate, buyout or reconstruct 680 residential properties subject to repetitive flooding.
Other generators will be going to Bladen, Brunswick, Columbus, Greene, Lenoir, Sampson, Surry, Tyrell and Washington counties.
In addition to helping provide residents with municipal water, the generators in other areas will be used to provide power to emergency shelters at schools, as well as emergency operations and communications facilities.
