September 23, 1999
Actions Taken by DENR in Hurricane Areas
RALEIGH – In the aftermath of Hurricane Floyd, personnel from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources have mobilized across the eastern third of the state to provide critical information, relief and assistance. A summary of DENR’s efforts includes:
Environmental Health
Providing health-related information to the public through the news media.
Manning the Emergency Operation Center’s Public Water Supply phone line from 7 am – 10 pm daily. Call 919-733-2448.
Sending regional environmental health specialists to Jones, Nash, Greene, Edgecombe and Bertie counties to provide on-site assistance.
Taking the lead in coordinating local environmental health staffing needs, help of volunteers, and local government staffs.
Water Quality
Taking estuarine water samples.
Flying over affected counties to identify location of flooded lagoons and wastewater treatment plants
Documenting problems of wastewater treatment plants, animal waste lagoons and ground water.
Air Quality
Developing and testing effective methods of disposing of vegetative debris and dead animals that will protect air quality.
Waste Management
Working with epidemiologists on disposal of livestock carcasses.
Plotting Superfund sites to determine which sites may need cleaning up.
Assessing hazardous waste sites in the four eastern regions.
Forest Resources
Working in Roanoke Rapids, Tarboro and Kinston to help with downed trees and water pumping.
Deploying four helicopters for evacuation and other emergency missions.
Working with local disaster response teams in the affected counties.
Soil and Water Conservation
Surveying the damage to the approximately 2500 animal waste lagoons in the affected area.
Coastal Management
Working with the Department of Transportation to reopen roads in the coastal counties.
Assessing damage to property, and dunes in the coastal counties. With the exception of Oak Island, where many homes were destroyed, damage was mainly to docks, piers and the dune systems.
Fielding calls from coastal residents seeking information about CAMA permits for replacing structures.
Marine Fisheries
Monitoring testing of closed coastal waters for shell fishing as a precautionary public health measure.
Marine Patrols supporting local law enforcement agencies at the direction of the EOC.
Collections for Victims
The North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores is collecting donations for victims of Hurricane Floyd. Donations can be dropped off at the Aquarium during normal operating hours – 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Donations are being taken from DENR employees in Raleigh and forwarded to the Food Bank. Many other DENR divisions and each Regional Office is collecting items needed by Floyd victims.
Controller’s Office
Working with FEMA to speed up funding for clean-up operations, mosquito spraying and other needs.
Water Resources
Working with the US Army Corps of Engineers to determine appropriate reservoir release rates so as not to adversely affect downstream areas already flooded.
Parks and Recreation
Rangers providing law enforcement assistance to Edgecombe Co. and the town of Bethel.
Providing vehicles for delivering goods to hurricane/flood victims.
Helping in evacuation of residents around Lake Waccamaw.
Telephone Contacts for Hurricane Relief Efforts:
Emergency Operations Center 1-919-733-2448
FEMA 1-800-462-9029
Donations 1-888-786-7601
Relief Logistics (EOC) 1-919-733-0795
DOT (Highway Conditions) 1-877-368-4968
EPA (Public Affairs, Region IV) 1-919-541-4577
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