North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein declared a State of Emergency on Thursday for 13 counties grappling with the remnants of Tropical Storm Chantal.

Stein met with business owners and town leaders in Chapel Hill on Friday while surveying the damage at Eastgate Crossing shopping center.

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He said the state is still assessing damage, determining how much public infrastructure was damaged, how private businesses were impacted and the scale of homes that were destroyed.

Friday was personal for Stein as he toured some prominent businesses in his hometown. He said he was crushed to see the storm cause such a struggle for Chapel Hill families in addition to the economic blow. He also checked out the Camelot Village condominium complex.

"This place is special to me," said Stein. "I grew up in Chapel Hill. I know this place exceptionally well. It hurts my heart these business owners invested their blood, their sweat, their tears, their capital into successful small businesses just to have it washed away in a single day."

Stein spoke with business owners at Eastgate Crossing, including at Olmaz Jewelers and Kipo's Greek Taverna. Stein said FEMA's involvement is a possibility. 

"The declaration will help us to potentially trigger federal support," he said. "We’re obviously going to go to FEMA if we can justify seeking federal assistance we absolutely will do that."

Chantal, which hit North Carolina as a tropical depression on July 6 and 7, dumped nine to 12 inches of rain and prompted flooding in low-lying areas near rivers and creeks. Some families and business owners face long roads to recovery.

There were many who helped others at their own expense during the storm. Claudia Lima, a captain with the White Cross Volunteer Fire Department just west of Chapel Hill, had her home flood while she was performing her duties helping pull residents out of harm's way.  

Through the North Carolina Emergency Management Act, the State of Emergency will make state and federal recovery assistance available for:

  • Alamance County
    • Caswell County
      • Chatham County
        • Davidson County
          • Durham County
            • Forsyth County
              • Guilford County
                • Lee County
                  • Moore County
                    • Orange County
                      • Person County
                        • Randolph County
                          • Wake County

                            Areas along the Haw and Eno rivers were particularly hard hit and Hyco Lake in Person and Caswell counties. Chapel Hill businesses at Eastgate Crossing face a long road to recovery. Town leadership said it would cost roughly $26,534,457 to repair damage from the storm. At least four counties declared their own county states of emergency due to the flooding.

                            “Tropical Storm Chantal cost some of our neighbors their lives and others their livelihood and property. We must do everything we can to support them as they get back on their feet,” said Stein. “This State of Emergency will help get North Carolinians the support they need and enable the state to seek out potential funding to help communities rebuild.” 

                            The town, university and organizations in Chapel Hill hosted a flood resource event on Thursday at Innovate Carolina Junction for businesses impacted by destructive flooding from Tropical Depression Chantal last week. 

                            "Honestly, the thought of taking out more loans is not something I can stomach at the moment," said Meri Clark, owner of Restore Hyper Wellness. "But just gathering all the information and making sure I know all the options that is available to me as we decide next steps for my business has been helpful."

                            Even after Chantal, the month hasn’t let up on the rain. There have been many days featuring late-afternoon storms, and as of Tuesday, 57 flash flood reports in central North Carolina during the month of July. 

                            Rainfall totals since July 1 for the month have exceeded 12 inches in parts of Chatham County. Jordan Lake was at 228 feet on Tuesday and structures along the Eno River, like the Eno River Mill building in Hillsborough, were in disrepair.

                            It’s already the fifth-wettest month on record (data has been logged since 1891) in Chapel Hill, with 13.76 inches of rainfall recorded. All the rain has left the ground saturated and ripe for downed trees and power outages.

                            Chapel Hill has started an online Economic Recovery Center to help those in communities like Camelot Village condominium complex, which is along Estes Drive and next to Bolin Creek. 

                            In Durham, residents in neighborhoods along the Eno were woken up in the middle of the night by firefighters warning them to evacuate with rising water levels. Around 80 people were rescued by boat and many more found their homes disheveled and muddy after the rain moved on.

                            It’s the second extreme flooding event North Carolina has dealt with in the past 10 months with many mountain communities needing help bouncing back from Hurricane Helene, which caused a staggering $53 billion in damage, according to former Gov. Roy Cooper.

                            The state has been busy helping victims, providing swift water rescue teams, setting up emergency operation centers, delivering bottled water and arranging shower trailers as housing and infrastructure are still lacking in certain cases. Over 100 roads were closed in North Carolina at one point, including I-40/I-85. Several North Carolinians died in the flooding, days after at least 132 died in central Texas from disastrous floods. In Chatham County, four people have drowned this month and the sheriff's office is asking people to stay away from Jordan Lake.

                            The Division of Emergency Management is working with local teams to assess damage. After touring damage in Mebane last week, Stein said he had real concerns about the amount of funding going toward emergency management. The state's General Assembly has yet to pass a budget. 

                            You can find ways to help those hurt by the disaster through outreach efforts, donations and emergency resources here.

                            $11 million in grants awarded for Great Trails State Program in western North Carolina

                            On Thursday, Stein announced the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources has awarded more than $11 million, authorized by the General Assembly in grants to communities and nonprofits in western North Carolina from Great Trails State Program funding.

                            Stein has spent the week in western North Carolina to promote tourism nearly a year after Hurricane Helene ravaged the area.

                            “From the barrier islands to the Blue Ridge Mountains, North Carolina is home to amazing opportunities for outdoor recreation,” Stein said in a news release. “As western North Carolina continues to recover from Hurricane Helene, this funding for trails will help local communities increase tourism, promote healthy living, and improve quality of life for all North Carolinians.”

                            In western North Carolina, 37 local trail projects will benefit from $11,162,342 in Great Trails State Program funding, including designing the first greenway in Alleghany County, expanding the New River Paddle Trail, and enhancing and expanding trails throughout the region.

                            Stein's release listed the western North Carolina grant recipients and amounts.