Governor Pat McCrory visited Brunswick and Bladen Counties Tuesday to assess the damage caused by the recent heavy rains. According to local officials, the county received at least 18 inches of rain during the storm and massive flooding occurred in areas throughout both counties.
“The major impact of the storm did not hit us and we’re very, very fortunate,” said McCrory during a press conference in Brunswick County. “This [storm system] could have moved 30 to 40 miles and would have had a major issue from Wilmington up to Charlotte. From the way we’re seeing destruction from Columbia, to Charleston and Myrtle Beach it could have been us, at any time. But we were ready.”
McCrory stated he continues to be in close contact with Governor Nikki Haley, offering emergency assistance and support to South Carolina.
After the press conference, the governor took an aerial tour over Brunswick County to evaluate its condition.
“Our emergency operations team and county, local and city officials throughout the state have worked together as a team to help wherever it was needed, from Asheville to the Outer Banks,” Governor McCrory said. “I’m very proud of the team in the southeast area of the state that was hit the hardest. Great improvements have been made just in the past 48 hours.”
According to Brunswick County spokeswoman Amanda Hutcheson, local officials are still working to collect data for estimates on official storm damage to the county.
Brunswick County lifted its state of emergency yesterday, while New Hanover County is still under a state of emergency as county officials work to clear roads that are still impassible.
James Mieczkowski is a news reporter for Port City Daily. He can be reached at james.m@portcitydaily.com On Twitter: @mieczkowskiPCD
