County Report - April 18th

The Lee County Board of Commissioners, staff and citizens want the citizens of Lee County to know that we are working as quickly as possible to help in the recovery of the aftermath of the April 16th Tornado Disaster.

If your home has been damaged by the storm you need to call your insurance agent or company immediately if you have not done so. A lot of the aid you need right now may be covered under your policy. If you do not have homeowners insurance, the County is working with State and Federal agencies to see what aid might be available to you. We will forward more information to you as it becomes available.

As of 11:00 Monday morning Progress Energy and Central Electric are reporting that less than 1,000 customers in Lee County are now without power. The homes that remain without power are those that have suffered the most severe damage. Before power is restored to some homes, inspections may need to take place. If you have not been contacted by your electric company, please contact them.The Community Development Department for Sanford/Lee County will be instituting an expedited building permit process for individuals and contractors who are doing work in the affected areas.

The Community Development Department is located at the corner of Woodland and Makepeace Avenue.Homes continue to be inspected by the County/City Inspections department and damage assessment teams. If a home is “posted” then the home cannot be occupied. Homeowners cannot stay in a home that is “posted”. The County has not been declared a Federal Disaster area as of this release. Until it is, a storm debris removal plan is not in place. If you hire a private contractor to remove debris from your property, the contractor is responsible to properly dispose of that debris. We will be meeting with FEMA representatives today. We hope to have our debris removal plan approved later today. Once it is approved, we will communicate to you what should be done to have your debris removed.

The County’s Emergency Shelter at San Lee Middle School will be closing today at 6:00 pm, due to a lack of need. If you need temporary living assistance please contact the American Red Cross at 774-6857. The County remains under a State of Emergency. A curfew remains in effect daily from 8:00 pm until 8:00 am in the designated affected areas. Law Enforcement Agencies will be actively enforcing the curfew. Citizens who do not reside in the affected areas will not be able to access those areas during the curfew. In addition, we ask that citizens who do not have family or business in these areas not go to the areas. Emergency Crews are getting stuck in traffic and cannot do their work due to the traffic. Please, no sightseeing for the safety of our response teams. Castleberry Road and Steve Thomas Road are now open and the evacuation notice for Star Lane has been lifted. The fuel leak in that area is no longer a threat to the public.The City of Sanford’s Water Treatment Facility has had permit power restored. The voluntary conservation water request has now expired. If you have questions Lee County’s Hotline number is 718-4670. Please leave your name and number and someone from the county will get back to you as quickly as possible. In addition, the County is preparing to set up the 211 information line to answer questions.

Important phone numbers

Lee County Emergency Management – 718-4670
Sanford Lee County Building Inspections – 718-4656
American Red Cross – 774-6857

2 comments:

Unknown said...

I just want to give a HUGE THANKS to all the progress energy and central electric workers! I thought we would be without power all week and we were surprised and excited when our lights cames back on yesterday!! Thanks guys for all your hard work!

Unknown said...

Poplar Springs Church Soup Kitchen
Poplar Springs Church is offering meals to victims of the tornado and the volunteers helping with the cleanup. Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner will be served this week. Food donations and volunteers for serving are needed. Please contact Heather @ 919-478-3506 with any questions.