Morganton embarks on long road to full recovery post-Hurricane Helene

Rome wasn’t built in a day; Morganton will not be restored in a day either.

Although the true extent of Hurricane Helene’s long-term damages is unknown, Morganton leaders are working diligently to uncover where we stand.

The community is out of the emergency repairs stage and the new goal is focusing on the permanent, recovery restoration of the Morganton community.

The City recently hired disaster recovery firm DCMC Partners of Alexandria, Va., as a consultant for recovery efforts. Their team will assess and gather information on the damages that will later be presented to city leadership. The City is also collaborating with its municipal insurers to recover some financial losses through liability and flood policies.

When reviewing the varying damages, City Manager Sally Sandy says her gut initially told her the minimum cost is somewhere between $10 million and $15 million. However, she expects the number will be higher than that, in the tens of millions.

Many structures and properties are still being evaluated to determine whether they need to be replaced, rebuilt, or restored.

One example is the Catawba Greenway, which is temporarily closed to the public and is extensively damaged. Sandy explained that after receiving quotes from three engineers to assess the situation, they have honored the lowest one.

“We just received that report back now, so they don’t feel that we have to replace the two bridges,” Sandy said. “There’s some minor repair work to be done to them, but the boardwalk has to be completely replaced. Now, I have to go out and get all of that designed and quoted so I don’t have that cost yet.”

Other examples of ongoing repair projects include:

• Water and sewer plants that were completely underwater and received emergency repairs to revive services.
• The retaining wall for the dam of the Catawba River.
• Recreation facilities and equipment at Catawba Meadows.
• Fields covered in silt.

There’s also the task of assessing the electric system, including how many transformers were submerged and how many are still operational. Sandy explained that while temporary repairs were made to their electric and CoMPAS systems, they are now focusing on permanent solutions.

FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS

Securing the dollars to make needed repairs is only one hurdle that must be cleared. Each municipal project must adhere to a federal procurement process. The contracts and the bids must meet federal requirements.

“All of those services … is a regulated, long process,” Sandy said. “‘Joe Contractor,’ a local contractor, says, ‘I’ll do that for you for $20,000.’ You can’t award that job if you want any kind of reimbursement or help with that if it ultimately qualifies.”

She continued, “The replacement of the boardwalk at the Greenway, is a great example. We will have to get quotes on that design work, then go through awarding that, get the design work done, and then that project will have to be bid, as per federal requirements in a bidding process. Then we will have to award that. After that, all those pieces have been complied with.”

The City will need to evaluate funding sources, whether that’s insurance, a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grant, state/federal/local allocation, or potentially a combination of multiple sources.

“We have to also financially figure out, as we’re doing this and prioritizing things, what we can cash flow, because we’re going to have to pay for it all upfront, even if we’re getting grants for some of it. It is all on a reimbursement basis,” Sandy said.

Some FEMA reimbursements could take up to four years — or more.

The City is approaching recovery responsibly and with patience, she said.

“We, too, are anxious to work toward a full restoration and getting back to ‘pre-storm or better condition, but that is going to take time.”