Burke County seeks Army Corps help for waterway debris; manager outlines debris-removal progress

County Manager Brian Eppley told the Burke County Board of Commissioners on March 17 that county-led debris collection after the storm has collected about 270,000 cubic yards of material and that staff has asked the state to request a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers mission assignment to remove debris from navigable waterways inside county borders.

The request to the State Department of Emergency Management followed board direction given March 3. Eppley said the corps would be a “turnkey operation” with permitting expertise for navigable waterways and that pairing Corps work with private-property debris removal makes logistical sense because many waterway access points cross private land and require right-of-entry approvals.

Eppley told commissioners Burke County has used four FEMA-permitted debris sites, including a recently critical impervious site at 211 East Fleming, and currently has about 20 trucks running on collection routes. He said contractors and monitors (DebrisTech and SDR) have helped hit federal deadlines and that county staff are preparing for a likely short extension of the current debris contracts, which expire late March. “As of today, we have about 20 trucks running today. We've collected about 270,000 cubic yards,” Eppley said.

Why this matters: debris in streams raises flood risk and threatens bridges, utilities and roads; federal reimbursement is contingent on strict documentation; and clearing waterways is costly and administratively complex. Eppley said the county is focused on avoiding local cost exposure while operating within FEMA’s timelines and documentation rules.

Key details from the presentation - FEMA applications and temporary housing: More than 13,000 Burke County residents applied for FEMA individual assistance; roughly 3,500 needed additional help at a local disaster recovery center; about 7,700 people registered for housing assistance. Eppley said 24 homeowners reported destroyed residences and roughly 18 destroyed rental units; nine families remained in hotels at the time of the March 17 meeting. - Debris collection and sites: County staff used four FEMA‑permitted temporary debris sites. Eppley said chipping/grinding capacity runs about 3,500 cubic yards per day and that collection density has fallen as crews move from high-volume corridors into more dispersed, gated communities that require signed right-of-entry agreements with homeowners’ associations. - Contract timing and reimbursement: Eppley said the federal administration provided a 180‑day reimbursement window; the county is aiming to complete right-of-way collection inside that period to avoid local costs. He said the SDR/DebrisTech contracts expire in late March and staff are preparing a short extension to finish remaining addresses called into the debris hotline. - Waterway cleanup options: The manager described two options considered by staff: continue private‑contractor removal (quicker mobilization; county administrative responsibility) or seek an Army Corps mission assignment (no direct county cost but subject to state and federal mission approval). The board directed staff to pursue the Corps request; county staff submitted the request through the state portal (WebEFC) and were awaiting individual review because requests filed after Feb. 28 require extra approval steps. - Private‑property debris and home mitigation: Eppley said the county has 18 properties that applied for the state home‑mitigation block grant; 15 of those applications are concentrated in three neighborhoods and most applicants were pursuing acquisition; two applicants sought elevation of their homes. He emphasized that acquisitions require board approval because properties removed from the tax rolls impose a permanent change in county tax base. - Damage and tax impairment estimate: Eppley said preliminary damage assessments point to an estimated residential tax impairment of roughly $5–$6 million and commercial impairment of $20–$25 million; he said public‑assistance billing stood at about $5.1 million at the time of the briefing and could grow 15–20% as remaining debris reduction is documented.

Questions and next steps Commissioners asked whether the Corps deployment would cover the entire Catawba River system; Eppley said the mission request covered navigable waterways inside Burke County (county border to border) and that the Corps typically focuses on areas of public‑infrastructure risk such as bridges and water intakes. He said staff will continue daily contact with state emergency officials and expects to update the board when the mission assignment is issued.

Commission action The board voted unanimously, 5–0, to accept the disaster recovery update as presented and to continue staff direction already given to pursue waterway debris collection through the Army Corps mission request and to seek a short contract extension for right‑of‑way debris work if needed.

Ending note Eppley emphasized the documentation intensity required for federal reimbursement — down to serial numbers and hours of use for generators — and thanked county staff and volunteers for sustained effort through the recovery period.