Topsail seeking FEMA money help to nourish eroded beaches - StarNewsOnline.com
As beaches go, Topsail's fared pretty well through Hurricane Irene last month.
When the outer bands of the storm raked Topsail Beach, it took with it an estimated 120,000 cubic yards of sand – about 10 percent of what the town pumped onto the beach earlier this year through its emergency nourishment project.
That's not much sand in the grand scheme of things, officials say, but enough to cost an estimated $4.3 million to replenish, prompting the town to seek assistance from a reportedly cash-strapped Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Topsail and Holden Beach are now waiting to see if Congress will fully fund disaster recovery efforts throughout the United States.
FEMA has less than $800 million, too little to pay for some disaster programs it normally covers and well below industry estimates of the cost of Hurricane Irene – up to $10 billion.
The agency has frozen future aid to Joplin, Mo., where a May 22 tornado killed 160 people and damaged about 7,500 homes. More than 500 people in Tuscaloosa County, Ala., who've applied for a government grant program that helps pay for the installation of a safe room or storm shelter able to withstand tornadic winds have been told the money is not available. Tuscaloosa County was also ravaged by a tornado outbreak last spring.
Local beach officials say they're not sure of FEMA's response to reimbursing sand nourishment costs, but they have followed strict federal rules to secure federal aid.
Topsail and Holden beaches are considered "engineered beaches" that are locally maintained and funded, qualifying them for FEMA aid in an emergency event.
Topsail Beach recently adopted a 30-year beach maintenance plan.
"We have done everything required to get FEMA assistance," Topsail Commissioner Buck Taylor said.
He along with Commissioner Julian Bone and the engineer hired by the town to maintain the beach are meeting with FEMA officials in the coming days to discuss assistance.
"Whether or not FEMA is going to take a look at that or not, I can't really say," Taylor said. "We're in one heck of a lot better situation than we were a year ago. I don't want to minimize the issues we have here. We've still got 900,000 cubic yards out there. We're in much better shape than beaches not going through the process."
Early this year, Topsail Beach spent millions for an emergency nourishment project, pumping 1 million cubic yards of sand along the shoreline.
Like Topsail, Holden Beach regularly surveys its sand. The town estimates it lost about 200,000 cubic yards to Irene. The town has filed about a $3 million claim with FEMA, said Town Manager David Hewett.
"FEMA has protocol and rules set up for reimbursement," he said. "If FEMA falls through on funding, that's another issue. But our position is that the Holden Beach requirements that have been established by FEMA have been met. If it takes a congressional authorization to fund FEMA to meet their obligations, that's fine too. We'd be glad to wait. I think that we don't have the luxury of sweating it. We're executing our program that is designed to measure the beach post storm."
Less than three years ago, FEMA reimbursed the town more than $2.2 million after Tropical Storm Hanna swept an estimated 300,000 cubic yards of sand out to sea.
Topsail Beach officials are hopeful their beach will receive a similar reimbursement.
"The only thing I can tell you is we're going to make all the applications and do everything we're supposed to do, and we're just going to have faith that our federal government will give us some money," Bone said. "I am confident that if FEMA has the money they're going to turn it loose."
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14 Sep, 2011--
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