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Hurricane Matthew
On October 8, 2016, Hurricane Matthew hovered over Edgecombe County and most of Eastern North Carolina dropping about 14 inches in rain in parts of our County. Flash flooding occurred all over the County during the storm. Immediately following the storm, creeks flooded, and within a few days, the Tar River Flooded. At the Tarboro Town Bridge, the Tar River crested at 36.2 ft, just a few inches short of the historical record set after Hurricane Floyd in 1999 of nearly 42 ft.
Hurricane Matthew's Impact:
- Approximately 3,500 structures in the County received some damage from Hurricane Matthew;
- Approximately 250 structures had over 4 feet of water;
- Preliminary estimates from the NC Emergency Management office is $50 million in damage to residential structures, and $25 million to non-residential; these numbers will likely increase as FEMA assesses more individual properties.
- Cooperative Extension reports $33 million in crop losses and $3 million in ag-related infrastructure and equipment.
Still have unmet needs from Hurricane Matthew? Lutheran Services Carolinas is providing disaster case management services to flood survivors. If you need help, call the LSC Hurricane Matthew Helpline at (919) 861-2886. You can also download the flyer for more information.
Helpful Information and Updates
Fact Sheet on Duplication of Benefits
FEMA Fact Sheet on Flood Insurance
Criteria Used in Selecting Participants for HMGP
Hurricane Recovery Update Aug. 21, 2017
CDBG-DR Public Hearing Presentation
A plan to Improve the Princeville Levee
Being that the Town of Princeville is located in a low-lying area adjacent to the Tar River, it is prone to frequent flooding. In 1967, the Army Corp of Engineers built an earthen levee, or more commonly called a dike, to reduce the chances of the Town flooding. Once completed, the town didn't experience severe flooding again until Hurricane Floyd in September of 1999. With that historic disaster, (Tar River reaching a record of just short of 42 feet) water went both around and over the levee. Soon after, the levee was repaired and strengthened.
In 2001, the Army Corps of Engineers began work on a plan to address the level of flooding seen in Hurricane Floyd. The draft plan was completed in 2014 which proposes the extension of the levee. However, before the plan could be approved, funded and implemented, Hurricane Matthew brought flooding that was near the levels of Floyd. That has made the need for the plans expedited implementation all the more critical. It has gone through the Corps' approval process, and now awaits Congressional approval and funding appropriation.
Click here to download a copy of the plan