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New Hanover County Public Information Hotline: (910) 798-6800
Residential debris removal for NHC has begun. Click here for more information.

New Hanover County’s Community Recovery Resource Center is open at Independence Mall to assist residents of New Hanover County and surrounding areas as they recover from Hurricane Florence. It will house federal, state, and local agencies that are providing relief services. More info here. The Salvation Army will be distributing clothing vouchers at the FEMA Distribution Center from 8am-6pm, 7 days a week.

Brunswick County Public Information Hotline: (910) 253-2995
Brunswick County Distribution Sites & Recovery Updates: http://www.brunswickcountync.gov/brunswick-county-distribution-site-recovery-updates/

Pender County Public Information Hotline: (910) 259-1210
To view Pender County’s After the Storm page, complete with distribution points for supplies, click here.

North Carolina Center for Nonprofits: Click here for a list of resources.

 

Finding Financial Assistance

FEMA is an agency of the Department of Homeland Security that aims to help people before, during, and after disasters. If you are a victim of Hurricane Florence and within the counties declared a disaster by the President, you are eligible for financial assistance from FEMA for food, clothing, medical needs, temporary housing/lodging, home repairs or replacement, as well as disaster-caused damage to vehicles, clean-up items, disaster-caused child care or medical and dental expenses, etc.

To start a claim you can (1) visit http://www.disasterassistance.gov/ or (2) call 800-621-3362 if you do not have access to the internet. FEMA has also set up a distribution center at Sears, where representatives can assist individuals with filling out applications in addition to providing food and clothing.

To apply, you will need the following:

  • Personal information including Social Security Number, address of property impacted, and phone number
  • Insurance company and type of policy
  • Household annual income
  • Banking information including routing number and account number
  • Description of damage and loss

Within 10 days of submitting your application, FEMA will contact you to schedule an inspection of the impacted property. While you can begin clean up of your home prior to the inspection, remember to take pictures and/or videos of the damage and keep samples of damaged carpet, wallpaper, cabinet doors, etc. These will provide proof of the impact.

If you have insurance, file a claim immediately. FEMA cannot give financial assistance for losses covered by your insurance company. If you receive benefit from FEMA then also receive benefits from your insurance company, you are required by law to pay FEMA back.

For more information, here’s a link to FEMA’s Help After a Disaster Pamphlet.

 

Finding Help with Tree Removal & Storm Clean-Up: 

Baptists on Mission: Click here to apply for tree removal, mud-out, tear-outs, etc.

Riley’s Creek Baptist Church (19845 NC-210, Rocky Point, NC): Hours are 9am-4pm. Call ahead: (910) 231-3397 or (910) 231-3397. They need volunteers; if able to lend time, call Mike Moser at (910) 473-2911 or mose2911@gmail.com.

Scotts Hill Baptist Church (185 Scotts Hill Loop Rd): Hours are 9am-4pm. Email work requests to baptistmen@scottshill.org. If you’d like to volunteer, register at www.scottshill.org.

First Baptist Church Activity Center (1939 Independence Blvd, behind the mall): Hours are 8am-5pm. Call (910)-524-9828 for more information. 

Mt. Olive Baptist Church (2919 Galloway Rd, Bolivia): Call John Henry at (601) 668-1732.

Eastern Baptist Association Office (109 N. Center St. Warsaw): Call Richard Weeks at (910) 590-1720. 

 

Finding Help with Rent/Mortgage

Contact Cape Fear Regional CDC if you are concerned about being able to pay your rent/mortgage due to loss of employment or pay as a result of Hurricane Florence. You can call (910) 762-7555 or visit their website: https://www.cfrcdc.org.

The NC Realtors Relief Foundation has opened an opportunity for homeowners and renters to apply for up to $1500 for mortgage or rent relief. You can access the application here.

 

Finding Food & Supplies

D-SNAP Benefits: 

  • New Hanover County: Applications available at the Sears parking lot (3500 Oleander Dr, Wilmington, NC 28403) through Saturday, October 6.  More information here.
  • Pender County: Applications available at Pender County DSS (810 S Walker St, Burgaw, NC 28425).

Hot Meals:

  • NEW HANOVER — First Baptist Church Wilmington Activity Center (1939 Independence Blvd, behind the mall): Churches can pick up for groups of 24 or less, just show up. If the group is larger than 25, call ahead to (910)-524-9828. Drive-Thru: lunch served 11am-1pm, dinner from 4pm-6pm.
  • BRUNSWICK — Mt. Olive Baptist Church (2919 Galloway Road, Bolivia)
  • PENDER — Poston Baptist Church (4121 S. NC-11, Wallace, NC). Contact: David Wells (636) 209-0019.

Food Pantry/Distribution Centers — New Hanover County (open through Friday, September 28)

  • Scotts Hill Baptist Church (8am-5pm) — 185 Scotts Hill Loop Rd

Visit NHC’s Emergency Information page for up-to-date reports on organizations providing meals for residents: https://emergency.nhcgov.com/donations-volunteering/

Food Pantry/Distribution Centers — Brunswick County:

http://www.brunswickcountync.gov/brunswick-county-distribution-site-recovery-updates/

Brunswick County Red Cross fixed feeding sites:

  • Goshen Baptist Church (4124 Mt. Misery Road, Leland)
  • 3781 Ruby Stone Drive, Leland
  • 4889 Vernon Road, Northwest
  • 2991 Dogwood Road, Navassa

Food Pantry/Distribution Centers — Pender County 

Pender County – Red Cross will serve 150 meals each evening, 5-6 pm, from Station 14, 19470 U.S. 17 in Hampstead. Hot lunches will also be distributed daily from 1-3pm at St Matthew Baptist Church (152 Arlington Avenue, behind the tractor store) through Friday, September 28.

Pender County – Distribution Center for relief items, including water, food, cleaning supplies, toiletries and tarps are open:

  • Lighthouse Church, 98 S. Trade Way, Rocky Point
  • Atkinson, 700 E. Church St., Atkinson
  • Maple Hill, 115 Old Maple Rd., Maple Hill
  • Shiloh-Columbia Fire Department, 19170 U.S. 421, Willard
  • Union Rescue, 89 Veach St., Willard
  • Station 14, 19470 U.S. 17 – serving evening meals.
  • Share the Table, 12395 Hwy. 50, Surf City (call 910-616-8897 for hours)
  • Gateway Community Church, 416 W. Bridgers St., Burgaw
  • Lighthouse Church, 98 South Trade Way, Rocky Point.
  • Station 29, 4849 U.S. 421, Currie
  • Station 23, 200 Wilmington Ave., Surf City
  • Station 20, 816 S. Anderson Blvd., Topsail Beach (tarps only for residents).
  • Share the Table, 12395 Hwy. 50, Surf City (limited hours).

NC 2-1-1 provides a list of food pantries, free hot meals, as well as information on SNAP/EBT and WIC. You can go to their website, or call 211. They also provide a list of programs that can provide clothing, hygiene items, and furniture and other household goods. Once again, you can go to their website, or call 211.

 

Finding a Safe Place to Stay

Salvation Army and the Domestic Violence Shelter are both CLOSED due to significant damage and will not be operational for an undetermined period of time.

Good Shepherd is open, and has electricity and open beds. The Soup Kitchen is not operational until further notice, though they are feeding their shelter guests.

Family Promise of the Lower Cape Fear’s Interfaith Hospitality Network is OPEN. They are gathering supplies for those who are still without power. As of Tuesday, September 25, their office does not have power.

Safe Haven is OPEN to current guests and is operating with limited staff and no phone/internet service on site. Voicemail is being accessed and calls returned.

Rescue Mission is OPEN. They are able to interview potential residents.

LINC’s Marvin E. Roberts Transitional Living program is OPEN and existing residents have returned from storm shelter.

Hope Harbor Home is CLOSED, awaiting necessary repairs to the facility. HHH will re-open when those have been completed, and we will update this post accordingly.

First Fruit Ministries has beds available. The Outreach Center services will resume Thursday, September 27.

Visit a Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) to talk with someone in person for guidance or information. To find a center near you, use the DRC Locator or text DRC and your zip code to 4FEMA (43362). Example: DRC 01234. (Standard text message rates apply.)

Search for open shelters near you by texting SHELTER and your zip code to 4FEMA (43362). Example: Shelter 01234. (Standard text message rates apply.)

Search for open shelters using the Red Cross “Find Open Shelters” search.

Affordable Housing Units Available: The Wilmington Housing Finance & Development has 4 units available. Applications and qualifications are listed online: http://whfdinc.org/

NC 2-1-1 provides a list of shelters, low cost housing, home repair, and housing expense help. You can go to their website, or call 211.

 

Finding Medical Care

MedNorth has a Mobile Medical Unit for persons seeking medical attention. Call (910) 343-0270 for more information.

 

Finding Help with Utilities

To contact Duke Energy, call (800) 419-6356.

To contact CFPUA for water/sewer emergencies, call (910) 332-6565. Note: CFPUA announced it will be waiving late fees on water bills due September 11-25. Those bills will be due by close of business on Sept. 26.

NC 2-1-1 provides a list of programs that can assist with utility bills. You can go to their website, or call 211.

 

Finding Help for your Business

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has opened a Business Recovery Center (BRC) at the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce (1 Estelle Lee Dr, Wilmington, NC 28401) to help businesses impacted by Hurricane Florence. SBA representatives at the Center can provide information about disaster loans, answer questions and assist businesses in completing the SBA application. The Center will have normal operating hours Monday through Saturday, 8am-5pm, and will be closed on Sundays.

The SBA offers low-interest, long-term disaster loans for physical damage and working capital. Applicants may apply online using the Electronic Loan Application (ELA) via the SBA’s secure website at DisasterLoan.sba.gov. To be considered for all forms of disaster assistance, applicants should register for FEMA assistance (see above).

The filing deadline to return applications for physical property damage is Nov. 13, 2018.  The deadline to return economic injury applications is June 14, 2019.