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Mercer County Schools says $4.5 million in flood damage at Spanishburg; FEMA review and insurance rules will decide repairs
Summary
At a Feb. 23 meeting held at Spanishburg, Mercer County Schools officials said they submitted a FEMA claim after flood damage at Spanishburg/Spanish Park Elementary and estimated about $4.5 million in work to restore the building. Officials said FEMA's 50% damage threshold and a requirement to insure at replacement value will determine whether the federal funds come through and how long repairs will take.
Mercer County Schools officials told residents at a Feb. 23 board meeting in Spanishburg that the district has filed a FEMA claim after last year’s flood and has submitted roughly $4.5 million in repair estimates for the affected building.
"We have not and we will not — and we cannot — make any decisions about Spanishburg right now," the board chair said, explaining that FEMA must complete its evaluation before the district can bid work or move forward with major repairs. Leslie Lohman, who spoke from a purchasing and treasurer background, and Paul Mackens, who identified himself as the district director, walked the meeting through the cleanup and safety work that has already been done.
Why it matters: officials said federal funding hinges on FEMA’s damage assessment process, which evaluates whether a building is more than 50% damaged (a threshold that can make projects ineligible for repair funding). The district also must satisfy a federal requirement to carry flood insurance at the value FEMA will…
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