Wrightsville Beach suffered nearly $19 million in damages from September’s Hurricane Florence, with both commercial and residential damage each topping $9 million, town official told the board of aldermen on Tuesday, Oct. 9.
The damage in Wrightsville Beach is part of an estimated $450 million in total damages in New Hanover County reported to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Both county and town officials said the damage estimates were likely to change as more evaluations are made.
The damage includes an estimated $612,000 to town facilities. The town has $322,500 Â in deductibles on the buildings affected, which include extensive damage to the parks and recreation building, along with damage to the public works and public safety buildings.
Debris removal, which is currently ongoing, is expected to cost about $250,000, though some or all of that will be reimbursed through FEMA funds, town officials said. There is no damage estimate yet for the beach.
County damage estimates show that Wrightsville Beach bore the largest share of damage of the county’s beach towns. Carolina Beach reported $9.1 million while Kure Beach suffered $2.5 million. Meanwhile, Wilmington reported $263 million in damage and unincorporated New Hanover County reported $150 million.
