Governor seeks U.S. disaster declaration for flooding

Jun. 27--Gov. Roy Cooper is seeking a federal disaster declaration for 10 Western North Carolina counties that were struck by severe flooding three weeks ago.

A letter Cooper sent to the U.S. Small Business Administration says that the number of properties with major damage in Catawba and Mecklenburg counties exceeds the SBA's threshold for making the damage declaration, with 32 houses and one business in Catawba and 36 houses and one business in Mecklenburg suffering major damage.

Another 11 houses and one business in Catawba and 70 houses and one business in Mecklenburg had minor damage.

Damages totaled $1.5 million in Catawba County and $3.9 million in Mecklenburg.

The declaration also would cover a number of the counties that neighbor Catawba and Mecklenburg: Alexander, Burke, Cabarrus, Caldwell, Gaston, Iredell, Lincoln, and Union.

If the SBA issues a disaster declaration, property owners would be eligible to apply for low-interest loans to cover the cost of repairs not covered by insurance or to replace machinery, equipment and inventory loss, the governor's office said in a press release.

Cooper also intends to pursue a state disaster declaration following the approval of an SBA declaration, the press release said.