COMMUNITY NEWS
By Fraser Sherman
Correspondent
Tropical Depression Chantal is gone but the questions she brought linger on.
Is it safe to reopen my flooded place of business?
Will insurance cover the repairs I need?
How can I help the people hardest hit by Chantal?
Here’s a roundup of some of the answers.
Insurance Pop-Ups
After any destructive natural event, one question is inevitable for property owners: Will my insurance help me recover? The State Department of Insurance will provide answers at pop-up events in Carrboro on Wednesday. The first event is at Weatherhill Pointe from 10 a.m. to noon; the second is in the Canterbury Townhomes neighborhood from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. DOI representatives will answer insurance-related questions and address the issue of insurance fraud, which is common after disasters.
Can I reopen?
Chapel Hill says businesses that flooded without damage to the structure or to electrical, gas, HVAC or plumbing systems can reopen any time. Restaurants, however, may be an exception: they should check with the Orange County Health Department.
If the premises did suffer damage, reopening will take more work. For example, if flooding enters the electrical outlets, the damage must be repaired before Duke Power can turn the lights back on. With any type of damage, businesses need to hire a contractor to assess the damage and determine the necessary repairs. They should then apply for a city permit within three days. Putting “flood” in the permit description will tell staff to prioritize the paperwork.
The permit application should detail the damage and the scope of repairs. If the plan is to restore the building to its former condition, the town will expedite the application. If upgrades or improvements are involved, the permit must follow the regular town rules for new construction.
The Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce offers suggestions if you want to keep your business open while your premises are undergoing repairs:
- Contact EconDev@townofchapelhill.org if you’d be interested in a short-term or pop-up location.
- The Junction in downtown Chapel Hill is offering coworking space to businesses displaced by the storm. Contact Julia Lutz at Julia.Lutz@unc.edu if you need information.
- The Chamber is offering complimentary meeting space and co-working space to businesses but they have only so much room to offer. Email Hayley Loftus at hloftus@carolinachamber.org to reserve time.
Orange County aid efforts
Last week, Orange County opened a recovery assistance center at the Drakeford Library Complex. It closed on Saturday. The county has since set up a community giving fund to support recovery in Orange County, Carrboro, Chapel Hill and Hillsborough. The fund is a collaborative county/town project to channel donated funds where they can help the most. You can donate on the fund’s web page, which offers several options:
- Donations to the general recovery fund go wherever they’re most needed.
- The economic fund helps small businesses recover, which also helps their employees.
- The housing funds helps displaced survivors find safe, temporary housing; rehabilitate and preserve their homes; and keep emergency housing assistance and other housing programs up and running.
- The health and human services fund promotes access to mental-health services, including support for children; provides food, clothing, medication and similar items to Chantal survivors; and assists disabled residents.
- The natural and cultural resource fund preserves and restores natural resources and supports cultural, recreational and arts programs.
- Donations to the infrastructure fund support debris and waste management services, and help restore municipal water and wastewater systems, along with other infrastructure.
You can donate online, or by mailing the county a check made payable to Orange County Government. The address is on the fund website.
Other ways to give
In a post-Chantal message, Chapel Hill Mayor Jess Anderson said that “since before the rain ended, we have been hearing from people across Chapel Hill and the Triangle area wanting to help.” She offered a list of non-profit organizations eager to accept your donations:
FOOD & HOUSEHOLD ITEMS
Diaper Bank of North Carolina – Diapers and Period Supplies
Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina
Inter-faith Council for Social Service
Pet Food Assistance | Orange County, NC
HOUSING & LEGAL HELP
Orange County Emergency Rental Assistance
Orange County Housing Helpline
Fraser Sherman has worked for newspapers, including the Destin Log, the Pensacola News-Journal and the Raleigh Public Record. Born in England, he’d still live in Florida if he hadn’t met the perfect woman and moved to Durham to marry her. He’s the author of several film reference books and has published one novel and several short story collections. This reporter can be reached at: Information@TheLocal Reporter.press
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