FEMA approves $3,4 million for Buxton beachfill project

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has approved $3,385,724 in funding to help Dare County restore the beaches and stabilize the sand dunes in Buxton that were damaged by Hurricane Dorian in September 2019.

The FEMA disaster grant will pay for 164,690 cubic yards of sand to be deposited on the beach in Buxton as part of a future project that will renourish the beaches that originally underwent beach nourishment in February 2018.

Dare County will also receive $5,782,866 to help restore beaches and stabilize dunes in Buxton that were damaged by Hurricane Florence in September 2018.

Through the state of North Carolina and FEMA’s Public Assistance program funds, Dare County will be reimbursed the $5.78 million to cover the cost of depositing 303,732 cubic yards of engineered dune beach sand and 5,000 feet of sand fencing along the beach in Buxton.

The Public Assistance program is a cost-sharing program that provides grants for state and local governments to reimburse the costs of debris removal, emergency protective measures and permanent repair work. FEMA’s share for the project is $4,337,149 and North Carolina’s share is $1,445,716.

The Buxton beach nourishment project includes 2.9 miles of shoreline from the Haulover Day Use Area north of Buxton to the oceanfront groin at the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse.

Maintenance renourishment of this area is scheduled for the summer of 2022.