Easley seeks disaster declaration for Bertie County

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Gov. Mike Easley has sent a letter to the Small Business Administration requesting a disaster declaration for Bertie County in the wake of last weekend's severe weather.

If approved, the declaration makes residents and business owners in Bertie County eligible for low-interest loans to assist with repairs. Individuals would also be eligible for financial help from the state disaster assistance program.

A Small Business Association disaster declaration requires a county to have 25 or more homes or businesses with 40 percent or more uninsured damage, the governor's office said.

Preliminary damage assessment teams dispatched by Easley on Monday determined that Bertie County had 30 homes that were destroyed or suffered major damage and were not covered by insurance.

To the west, Department of Transportation crews are starting to help clean up damage from tornadoes that hit Clemmons and Advance last week.

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