Burke County details long-term storm recovery: 270,000 cubic yards collected, seeks Army Corps help for waterways

Burke County Manager Brian Eckhart told the Board of Commissioners on March 17 that long-term recovery from the storm is moving into a new phase focused on private-property and waterway debris removal, temporary housing, and home mitigation grant work. ‘‘As of today, we have about 20 trucks running today. We have...collected about 270,000 cubic yards,’’ Eckhart said.

The nut graff: County staff said most life‑safety work is complete and that the immediate priorities now are clearing remaining debris (including private property), pursuing federal reimbursements, and completing the home mitigation block‑grant process for heavily affected properties.

Eckhart described the county’s debris operations and reimbursement strategy. He said right‑of‑way debris collection has used four FEMA‑permitted alternative debris sites and that the county has been operating under an 180‑day federal window to prevent local costs: ‘‘That was a very intentional target since we began this of getting a contractor mobilized...so that the county level did not incur cost.’’ He said one site at 211 East Fleming proved important during wet winter months because it provided an impervious surface for operations.

Eckhart also briefed the board on private‑property cleanup and a planned small contract extension for SDR and Debris Tech; he said the contract ‘‘does expire on the 20 fifth’’ in the transcript and staff will return with a proposed short extension. He gave collection rates for reduction work (chipping/grinding) at about 3,500 cubic yards per day.

On waterways, Eckhart said the county has two options: continue with private contractors or request U.S. Army Corps of Engineers assistance. He said the board directed staff to seek an Army Corps mission assignment and that Burke County filed a mission request through the State Division of Emergency Management’s online portal in early March. Eckhart said the county met with a Corps officer, Mark Caldwell, who discussed scope and approach, and that the state later indicated requests filed after Feb. 28 require individual review. Eckhart said the county has followed up with the state director and deputy director and is awaiting a deployment date.

Eckhart added other recovery details: about 13,000 residents applied for FEMA individual assistance in Burke County, roughly 3,500 needed extra help at the county disaster recovery center, and about 7,700 people were registered for housing assistance. He reported roughly 24 owner‑occupied homes and about 18 renter households with destroyed dwellings captured in the housing assistance tally; nine families remained in hotels at the time of the report. On the home mitigation block grant, Eckhart said 18 properties had filed applications, about 15 of which were concentrated in three neighborhoods; most were pursuing acquisition and two were pursuing elevation of structures.

Ending: The board took no immediate policy vote on new funding at the meeting but accepted the manager’s report by motion and a 5‑0 vote. Staff said they will return with contract extension language and continue to track the Corps mission request daily.