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 annual capital budget, officials said. That has immediate cash-flow implications for starting and sequencing repairs on parks, the wastewater system and water intake facilities, and for replacing lost equipment.

Parks and Greenway: Brian Eppley, manager for Burke County (speaking to the council in coordination with city staff), and city parks staff described extensive damage to Catawba Meadows, the Greenway boardwalk at River Village and multiple athletic fields. Eppley said the county has collected about 220,000 cubic yards of debris and believes collection is about 85–90% complete. He urged residents to register remaining debris through the county hotline so contractors can pick it up before the March 18 contract end date.

Morganton parks director Brian (first name given in the meeting as Brian Eppley for the county update and parks remarks) said city crews removed 1,226 tons of silt from the Greenway and related areas—about 81 dump-truck loads—and that staff will open a limited section of the Greenway beginning the morning after the meeting. The segment will run from Freedom Park across Freedom Bridge into portions of the soccer complex; areas shown in the council slides as red remain closed. "The areas in red, the fields, the restrooms, the playgrounds, the bridge across Silver Creek toward Town Tavern, all those areas are closed," he said, and warned that some paved path sections have several feet of material washed out beneath the surface.

Shuey Park and youth sports: City staff prioritized cleaning and mold remediation so some recreation can resume. Shuey Park repairs—about $500,000—are nearly complete, allowing youth baseball and softball to begin with adjusted field allocations. Parks staff said about 365 children are registered for youth programs this season, and the city is working with the school system and local partners to provide fields and lighting where possible.

Water, wastewater and facilities: Sandy described a newly discovered storm-related washout on a sewer line that will cost about $80,000 to repair and an estimated $1–1.2 million to complete resilience work at the Silver Creek lift station. She also described major needs at the city's water intake and low weir dam that together were currently being estimated at roughly $11 million.

Revenue and cash flow: Sandy said lost revenues—sales taxes, permits, and business closures—compound recovery challenges and estimated the city is losing roughly $300,000 to $500,000 a month across electric, water and sewer collections compared with pre-storm levels. Insurance settlements and FEMA reimbursements remain unresolved. "When we let a contract, we have to set aside those monies," Sandy said. "Figuring out how to cash flow this…is a big issue."

State cash-flow loan program: Council later approved, by voice vote, a separate resolution authorizing the city to accept a state cash-flow loan of up to $5,460,967.40 at 0 percent interest (see Votes at a glance). Sandy told the council the city will not close immediately on that loan and is negotiating with the State Treasurer's Office on how category A and B FEMA timing will affect the loan’s usefulness for cash flow; the state program requires rapid repayment to the state when FEMA reimbursement is received.

Insurance and FEMA processes: Sandy noted the city has both property and flood insurance on some facilities and that insurance and FEMA processes will determine final payments; as of March 3 many claims and the final scope of reimbursable work remained open.

What’s next: staff said demolition of the damaged River Village boardwalk is already under contract and other repairs will move through engineering, procurement and bidding. Many projects require multi-step federal and state procurement and design timelines; staff said some work could be under contract within months, but full restoration will be staged over years.

"Don't worry, Miss Sandy. We'll build it back even better," one staffer told the city manager during a site visit, Sandy said. Officials asked residents for patience as crews and contractors complete silt removal, structural demolition, and reconstruction work.