NC Emergency Management

This page outlines resources from the School of Government and beyond to assist local governments with hurricane recovery. Topics include Local Government Authority, Mutual Aid, Finance, Procurement, Utilities, Public Health, and Planning and Permitting. You can also find blogs on the Coates' Canons Local Government Law Blog and resources on the Environmental Finance Center website. For a list of topics and the School of Government faculty and staff with expertise in these topics, visit sog.unc.edu/resources/microsites/nc-emergency-management/emergency-preparedness-and-disaster-assistance-school-government-fields-expertise.

Training Options

The School, along with partner agencies and organizations, is hosting CDBG-DR trainings. The next training focuses on grant compliance requirements and is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 16. 

Local Government Emergency Management

A summary of Emergency Management Law in North Carolina is available in Norma Houston's chapter in the forthcoming edition of County and Municipal Government in North Carolina.

• Liability in Emergency Management Quick Guide 
• Blog: Liability Issues in Emergency Management for Local Governments  
• Blog: New Rules for Meetings of Public Bodies During State-Level Declared Emergencies
  
• Blog: Clarification of Rules for Remote Meetings Under State Level State of Emergency: No More Waiting 24 Hours After Public Hearings!
• Blog: Can Counties and Cities Close Roads During an Emergency?
  
• Blog: Misinformation and Threats on Social Media in the Wake of Hurricane Helene: How Local Governments Can Respond
  
• Blog: Misinformation and Threats in the Wake of Hurricane Helene: How Local Governments Can Respond – Part 2 (Public Meetings)
  

Mutual Aid

The North Carolina Mutual Aid System is a voluntary agreement among North Carolina local governments to share resources during a disaster. All 100 counties, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and nearly three-fourths of the 650 municipalities have signed the mutual aid agreement.

Agreements: 

Blog: Local Government Soliciting and Receiving Donations During an Emergency

Blog: Local Governments Assisting Other Local Governments During a Declared Disaster

Note: For FEMA reimbursement in any form of mutual aid assistance, Documentation is crucial.
 

Finance and Public Assistance

The FEMA Public Assistance Program provides supplemental grants to state, tribal, territorial, and local governments and some private nonprofits so communities can quickly respond to and recover from major disasters or emergencies.

•  Blog: FEMA Emergency Work (Categories A and B)
  
• Blog: Budgeting for FEMA Reimbursements, Preauditing Expenditures, Contracting Authority, and Managing Cash Flow During a Disaster 
• Blog: Local Tax Issues Following a Natural Disaster 
• Blog: Hiring Retired Local Government Staff to Aid in Helene Response 
• Blog: Using ARPA/CSLFRF Funds for Hurricane Helene Disaster Response (Outside of Revenue Replacement Category)
  

Procurement

Note: FEMA issued a memorandum that applies the 2024 revisions to the Uniform Guidance to Hurricane Helene declarations, regardless of the date of declaration. You can read about the 2024 revisions in this School of Government blog post and in this FEMA fact sheet. 

Links

• FEMA Procurement Disaster Assistance Team (PDAT) resources 
  
• FEMA Contracting Checklist
  
• School of Government's FEMA and State Procurement Requirements Cross-Walk (2025 version)
  

• Blog: Emergency and Exigency According to FEMA
  
• Blog: Performing a Cost or Price Analysis under the Uniform Guidance
  

Utilities

• Blog: NCWaterWARN: What It Is and How to Access This Vital Resource
  
• Blog: Resuming Water and Wastewater Service After a Major Disruption 
• Blog: https://efc.sog.unc.edu/ncwaterwarn-what-it-is-and-how-to-access-this-vital-resource/  
• Blog: https://efc.sog.unc.edu/resuming-water-and-wastewater-service-after-a-major-disruption/
  

Debris Removal

• NC Emergency Management Shares Debris Cleanup Guidelines
• NCEM, Debris Managment for Local Government. Local governments and state agencies can use prepositioned disaster debris removal and monitoring contracts. 
• NCDEQ Emergency/Disaster Debris Management
• Public Assistance Debris Monitoring Guide (March 2021)
• FEMA Fact Sheet: Public Assistance: Category A - Debris Removal including Private Property Debris (May 2023)

Public Health

• Slides:Health Information Confidentiality and Emergencies
  
• Blog: Access to Pharmacies and Prescription Refills after Hurricane Helene
• Blog: The Role of a Director of Social Services in the Disposition of Unclaimed Bodies

Planning, Permitting, and Housing

General

• Blog: Adjusting Development Regulations for Disaster Recovery 
  
• Blog: Planning and Permitting Aspects of Helene Recovery Legislation
• Blog: Hit the Pause Button: Temporary Development Moratoria in North Carolina
• Blog: Remote Zoning Hearings During Declared Emergencies
• North Carolina's construction licensing boards advise and urge the citizens of WNC to be vigilant and take necessary precautions when hiring contractors for repair and reconstruction work. Here's a letter and brochure with guidance and contacts.

Floodplain and Damage Assessment 

• Floodplain FAQs
• NCEM, Hazard Mitigation Section, Helene Floodplain Management Resources
  
• NCDPS, National Flood Insurance Program Flood Damage Assessment Package, 2022 Update. Includes Information On: Pre-Disaster Steps to Take; Actions Following a Flood; High Water Mark Documentation; Substantial Damage Determinations; Sample Letters and Notices; Information on Mitigation Programs; Contact Information
  
• FEMA Substantial Damage Quick Guide. When structures inside the Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) are damaged, National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) participating communities have a responsibility to assess impacts before repairs can be made, no matter the cause of damage.
  
• Sample Damage Assessment Presentation, Town of Waynesville, October 2024
• Blog: North Carolina Assessors and Disaster Recovery
• NC Building Inspection Association Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART). Requests for DART assistance should be routed through County Emergency Operation Center coordinators so that FEMA can track and reimburse resources. Emergency Management will then route requests for assistance to OSFM and then forward to the NCBIA so they can provide names from their list of volunteers.
• For floodplain matters, the NC Association of Floodplain Managers and NCEM are compiling a list of volunteers. If your community is impacted and you need assistance, please let us know, so we can share the list of volunteers. Steve Garrett, State NFIP Coordinator, Steve.Garrett@ncdps.gov, 919-825-2316; Eryn Futral, Eastern NFIP Planner, Eryn.Futral@ncdps.gov, 919-819-1734; Matt Stillwagon, Central NFIP Planner, Matthew.Stillwagon@ncdps.gov, 919-825-2289; Terry Foxx, Western NFIP Planner, Terry.Foxx@ncdps.gov, 828-228-8526.

• Blog: Emergency Home Repair Loans: Local Government as Financial Bridge
• FEMA Possible Sheltering and Housing Options  
• Blog: Temporary Housing and Zoning Amendments
• Blog: After the Storm: Summary Ejectment and Assistance Programs in North Carolina

General Resources

Declarations

Federal Disaster Declaration, September 28, 2024

• Amendment 001 to Federal Disaster Declaration, October 2, 2024 (added permanent work under the Pubilc Assistance program to affected areas)
• Amendment 002 to Federal Disaster Declaration, October 4, 2024 (added Mecklenburg and Swain counties for Individual Assistance and debris removal and emergency protective measures under Public Assistance program)
• Amendment 003 to Federal Disaster Declaration, October 15, 2024 (added multiple counties for various specified assistance)
• Map: FEMA-4827-DR, North Carolina Disaster Declaration as of 10/15/2024

Governor Cooper Executive Order No. 315, September 24, 2024

Chief Justice Newby Emergency Order, September 29, 2024

Template Local Declarations

• Template Local State of Emergency Declaration (template Word .docx format)
• Template Termination of State of Emergency (template Word .docx format)
• Template Municipal Consent to County Declaration (use if municipality wishes to be covered under county declaration; municipality can also be listed in county declaration upon request of the Mayor)

Grant Opporunities

• LOI Deadline Extended to December 20, 2024. Building Infrastructure in Communities (BRIC) grant program and the Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) grant program. This can be for shovel-ready construction projects that mitigate the risk of a natural hazard to public infrastructure or plans and studies to help develop future projects (called Capabilities & Capacity Building or C&CB proposals).

Additional State and Federal Resources for Local Governments

• NC Department of Public Safety Hurricane Helene Resources
• NC Department of Public Saftery Disaster Recovery Resources and FAQs
• NC Association of County Commissioners' Hurricane Helene Resources
• NC League of Municipalities' NCLM Hurricane Helene 411
• NC Office of Recovery and Resilience
  
  

 Individual Assistance

• NC DPS: The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and Your Property

• FEMA Individual Assistance Resources

• NC Department of Insurance Victim Assistance Centers and Insurance Camps provide in-person and on-the-ground recovery assistance and insurance-related support to those directly impacted by Hurricane Helene.
  
  
• North Carolina's construction licensing boards advise and urge the citizens of WNC to be vigilant and take necessary precautions when hiring contractors for repair and reconstruction work. Here's a letter and brochure with guidance and contacts.