George Alsberg, age 103, of Wilmington, was one of the oldest voluntary evacuees of Hurricane Florence. Photo credit: Taylor Knopf
NORTH CAROLINA HEALTH NEWS |
That’s the takeaway from a state-compiled list of the adults who died as a result of the catastrophic storm. It shows that two out of three North Carolinians who died during or as a result of Florence were 60 or older, and nearly half were 70 or older. The median age of adults who died during or as a result of the storm was 67, while the statewide median age is 38.3.
“Vulnerable adults are more likely to be impacted because of their social isolation, or not having the supports they needed in areas like transportation,” said Heather Burkhardt, program coordinator at Resources for Seniors in Raleigh.
The list of deaths tied to the catastrophic September storm grew to 39 on Oct. 1, when Gov. Roy Cooper announced two deaths, one of a Pender County man, 69, who fell off a roof Sept. 22 while repairing storm damage. A list supplied by the Department of Public Safety showed that people older than 65 represented:
Three of the victims were infants and two others did not have listed ages. Of the 34 adult deaths with ages attached, 21 were older than 65.
Perhaps the most poignant death was that of a man, 82, who committed suicide in Carteret County after Florence devastated his home. “Shot self when house condemned,” read the terse DPS account of the death.
Posted in Community issues, Economy, Economy and Employment, Environment, FEMA, Health, Hurricane, State news, State politics
LONGLEAF POLITICS | Hurricane Matthew struck eastern North Carolina on Oct. 9, 2016.
A full 18 months later, some of the first federally funded repairs are slated to begin this June.
Hurricane Matthew has re-emerged as a political issue in Raleigh as thousands of people in eastern North Carolina await public money to rebuild.
The storm was one of the most devastating in North Carolina’s history, killing 31 people and caused more than $4.8 billion in damage. Matthew set rainfall records in 17 counties, and 2,300 people were rescued from floodwaters.
Why is recovery taking so long?
It mostly has to do with the processes set up to distribute the roughly $1.7 billion in recovery aid expected from the federal and state government.
While the initial response from the N.C. National Guard and FEMA came quickly, North Carolina has been in no hurry to distribute money intended for longer-term recovery.
And as it turns out, there’s a huge difference between money that’s been approved — and money that’s actually been used.
The breakdown of funding sources is an alphabet soup of agencies, each with its own policies and mechanisms and hoops to jump through. State governments have incentives to get roads repaired quickly. Homes, not so much.
Here’s a quick explanation of how disaster recovery works. It’s ordered by how quickly money has been distributed.
Posted in Economy, Economy and Employment, Environment, FEMA, Health, Housing, Hurricane, Infrastructure, Longleaf Politics, State news, State politics, Weather
Pictured are left to right, Ervin Patrick, PIE past president; Millie McLaney Chalk with Duke Energy; Darlene Brown PIE executive director; and Don Brinkley, PIE president.
Craven County Partners In Education won a grant from Duke Energy for $4,500 for the STREAM Lab at Bridgeton Elementary.
The grant demonstrates Duke Energy Foundation’s continued support of education, environment, economic and workforce development, and community impact. This grant will take Bridgeton Elementary’s STEM Lab to a STREAM Lab (including reading and art) and expand it to include grades K-2.
The mission of Craven County Partners In Education is to support and advance educational experiences within Craven County Schools through collaborative community involvement. If you would like to learn how your organization can make a difference through Craven County Schools’ local education foundation, PIE, contact Darlene Brown, Executive Director, at 252-514-6321.
Posted in Business, Craven County Schools, Economy, Economy and Employment, New Bern
FEMA has opened a Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) at the old Eckerd/Rite Aid store located at 710 DeGraffenreid Ave. in New Bern. The DRC serves as a one-stop location for citizens affected by Hurricane Florence to apply for disaster assistance and other benefits available to them through support agencies. Valuable state, local and federal resources will be provided at the DRC which will be open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. beginning Thursday, Sept. 27, until FEMA determines the community needs have been met.
Steps available:
Registering with FEMA is required for federal aid, even if you have registered with another disaster-relief organization such as the American Red Cross, or local community or church organization.
For more information Craven County’s Hurricane Florence recovery efforts, visit the Craven County website at www.cravencountync.gov, on the Craven County Facebook page @cravencounty and the Craven County Emergency Management Twitter account @cravencountync. Visit the Craven County website to register to receive emergency notifications via text, email and phone calls through the CodeRed Emergency Notification System.
Posted in Craven County, Craven County Schools, Economy, Economy and Employment, Housing, Hurricane, New Bern
Weyerhaeuser Company (NYSE: WY) announced it will donate a total of $250,000 to several organizations providing relief efforts in eastern North Carolina in the wake of Hurricane Florence.
The grants will be distributed to disaster-relief and community-service organizations in the company’s operating areas. The Coastal Carolina and Eastern North Carolina chapters of the American Red Cross will receive support for their relief work in Craven, Beaufort and Washington Counties.
Additional donations will be made to the Salvation Army for efforts in Beaufort and Washington Counties; Religious Community Services (RCS) for needs in New Bern; and Disaster Recovery Partner for support in Pitt County.
“We’re pleased to announce donations to our community partners who are providing much-needed relief for the citizens of eastern North Carolina,” said Brian Chaney, Regional Timberlands Manager. “More than 500 Weyerhaeuser employees call this area home including the Timberlands management team based in Vanceboro. The company’s support for local relief organizations will complement all the ways they are helping neighbors and giving back in their communities during this challenging time.”
Alan Sherrington, East Region Manufacturing Vice President, added: “Our employees and communities were significantly impacted by Hurricane Florence. Weyerhaeuser will be part of this long recovery and we are grateful for the critical work our partner organizations do in times like this. We appreciate the close-knit family of Weyerhaeuser employees and the supportive communities near our lumber mills in Vanceboro, Greenville and Plymouth.”
Weyerhaeuser Company is one of the world’s largest private owners of timberlands, with 12.4 million acres under its ownership or control. The company has been in business since 1900.
Posted in Business, Economy, Economy and Employment, Hurricane, New Bern
Map from Realtor.com identifying the most affordable retirement towns in the nation.
Realtor.com listed New Bern as the fourth least expensive retirement town in the nation.
With a median home list price of $209,800 and a share of residents aged 60 and up at 26.8 percent, New Bern ranked fourth after Sebring, Fla., Sierra Vista, Ariz., and Ocala, Fla.
“Not everyone wants to retire on the ocean, especially in the wake of last year’s devastating Hurricanes Harvey and Irma,” the website said. “For the well-known town of New Bern, located along Neuse River, this has actually worked to its advantage.
“‘People are scared of hurricanes and don’t want to be on the beach,’ says Steve Tyson, a broker in New Bern. New Bern is close enough for a day trip to the shore, but just far enough away for when storms roll through. And retirees like that New Bern isn’t packed with tourists either, despite its historical chops. (Fun fact: This is the original state capital of North Carolina, not Raleigh.)
“Folks here are pleasantly surprised to learn that their 2,500-square-foot home will have a property tax bill of only around $2,500—a bargain compared with what they were paying up north.
“In addition to all the outdoorsy opportunities, many boomers are lured to the area by the commercial airport in town. The Coastal Regional Airport has direct flights to Atlanta and Charlotte—something many small retirement towns can’t say.”
The most expensive retirement town? San Luis Obispo, Calif., where a median home list price is $729,600.
The full article can be found here.
Posted in Economy, Economy and Employment, Housing, New Bern, Retirement
New Bern Now
