Rocky Mount, Edgecombe County storm victims not eligible for disaster funds after EF3 tornado devastates community

The state of North Carolina announced Wednesday families in the city of Rocky Mount and Edgecombe County are not eligible for disaster relief money after the July 19 tornado.

State leaders said the EF3 tornado damaged more than 100 homes in Edgecombe and Nash counties.

“It’s heartbreaking,” said Dortches resident Barry Rehm. “They’re our friends. They’re our neighbors.”

Dortches residents said the governor’s order will help families rebuild.

“It’s tough getting started all over, so any amount of help they can get, I’m certain they would appreciate it,” Rehm said. “

Across the county line in Edgecombe County, people impacted by the tornado had a different reaction to the order.

“What about us?” Edgecombe County resident James Powell said. “We need help too!”

Powell’s family lost multiple homes to the tornado. He’s asking why Cooper’s disaster declaration didn’t include support for victims in Edgecombe County and the city of Rocky Mount.

“We’ve been put on the back burner,” Powell said. “[I] don’t know where to start at. We’ve been asking for answers, going this way, trying to find a source for help.”

WRAL News took Powell’s concerns to the governor’s office on Wednesday.

In response, the state’s Division of Emergency management told WRAL News that Rocky Mount and Edgecombe County do not meet the disaster declaration threshold to send support to homeowners or renters.

The state says communities must have at least 25 homes with significant uninsured losses to qualify for disaster funding.

State leaders are still evaluating damage in Nash and Edgecombe counties to see if homes and businesses qualify for other state or federal help.

Tornado victims outside the disaster area say until then, they’re left to rebuild on their own.

“[It] destroyed our life,” Powell said of the tornado. “We’ve got to start over. [We’ve] got to start somewhere and we can’t do it. We need help doing that.”

The state also says they’re working with local officials, the governor’s office and the legislature on potential new programs to support unmet needs for storm victims.

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