Carrboro's damage estimates from Chantal have reached about $19 million, a significant chunk in the climbing cost of the storm in Orange County.
That's according to town officials who say nearly half of that estimate comes from damage to the town's public works building and vehicles. Carrboro lost more than a dozen police cars, waste management trucks and other pieces of construction equipment.
Carrboro Town Manager Patrice Toney told WUNC the town still has not calculated the full scope of the damage.
"The town itself has storm water issues and concerns that come up every time it rains, but we have never experienced something of this magnitude," Toney said. "It flooded out whole neighborhoods and communities and our own facility."
Toney said Carrboro is leasing waste management trucks while it goes through the process of collecting insurance payouts for its lost vehicles. Trash pickup was delayed by a day, but the town has been able to get back on schedule after borrowing waste management trucks from Orange County and Greensboro.
"Probably by next week, we will be made whole in some way in terms of our public works' ability to effectively provide services, but there was no gap other than the one-day delay because we've had tremendous outside help," Toney said.
Meanwhile, Hillsborough has reallocated more than $1 million in the town's budget for Chantal recovery. The town lost more than $2 million in its own vehicles when Chantal flooded its public works facility.
At a special meeting Wednesday, Hillsborough's assistant town manager Matt Efird told the town commission the flooding slowed recovery efforts.
"We lost both of our operational brush trucks and that really hampered out initial debris management response. We thankfully received a loan unit from Durham County through mutual aid and we were able to rent a vehicle that took several days to get here," Efird said.
Chapel Hill reported $26 million in damages. Orange County estimated a total of $56 million, though that figure was released last week and is likely higher.
Town and county officials say it is not yet clear whether they will get reimbursements from state or federal disaster programs. Gov. Josh Stein declared a state of emergency Thursday, which is necessary for North Carolina to seek federal funding.
