Last Updated on April 6, 2026 3:32 pm
WASHINGTON — Today, FEMA awarded more than $26 million to eliminate flood risks for severely damaged properties in North Carolina. The state will use this funding, administered through FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, to buy 75 damaged residential properties in Henderson, Polk and Yancey counties, bringing needed relief to the homeowners. FEMA is acting at the direction of the new Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin, who has brought a renewed sense of urgency to the pending buyout requests.
These buyouts are critical for individuals who survived the storms but whose homes were permanently damaged by floods or landslides. After a disaster, homeowners are often still required to pay mortgages, property taxes and other expenses on their homes even if they are unlivable. By buying the properties from the homeowners, state and local officials lessen the financial burden on these survivors and ensure that the community is more resilient to future flood damage. In addition to the 75 buyouts announced today, Secretary Mullin also instructed FEMA to clear the remaining backlog of buyout requests and expedite approvals to the greatest extent possible…