Morganton estimates $46 million to repair Hurricane Helene damage; part of Greenway to reopen

MORGANTON, N.C. — The City of Morganton estimates about $46 million will be needed to repair public infrastructure damaged by Hurricane Helene, and city officials on March 3 said they will reopen a portion of the Catawba River Greenway while larger repairs continue.

City Manager Sally Sandy told the Morganton City Council the figure comes from the city’s FEMA damage inventory worksheet and represents a moving target as engineers, insurers and federal reviewers complete assessments. "On our FEMA damage inventory worksheet, our total estimate to put everything back the way that it was September is $46,000,000," Sandy said. She added that about $5,000,000 has already been spent on debris removal and emergency response.

The estimate breaks down into major categories on the worksheet: parks and recreation about $22.5 million, water resources about $11 million, wastewater about $4.5 million and electric about $3 million, Sandy said. She cautioned the council that these numbers can shift after engineering designs, bidding and final insurance and FEMA determinations.

"A lot of these projects are not—we haven't fully engaged engineering services because we're just in the process," Sandy said, adding that federal and state procurement rules and insurance processes will affect timing and final costs.

Why it matters: the $46 million estimate is roughly half of the city's…