This picture of Nursery South submerged in Lumberton, North Carolina, was taken on October 10, 2016.Photo: Lee Grantham
In the wake of Hurricane Matthew’s impact, flooding has overwhelmed a number of green industry businesses across eastern North Carolina, but the North Carolina Nursery & Landscape Association is working to help them recover.
“The damage wrought by Hurricane Matthew on our members is absolutely devastating,” said NCNLA President Brad Rollins.
The NCNLA is helping to coordinate incoming resources and offers of assistance from other parts of the state and the rest of the country. It has developed several resources to help those companies that are in need of both short- and long-term assistance.
“NCNLA stands ready to assist our industry in any way possible as we start out on the road to recovery,” Rollins said. “Please don’t hesitate to contact the staff at the NCNLA office so that they can direct resources to where they are needed.”
Casey Nursery in Goldsboro, North Carolina, was one of the many nurseries affected by Hurricane Matthew.Photo: Hunter Casey
On the NC Green Industry – Hurricane Recovery Facebook page, businesses have shared their personal stories and photos of the damage. That information will be used to help coordinate volunteer clean-up events for companies in need. NCNLA will also use the Facebook page to share the latest news from federal and state officials about recovery and relief programs.
A Facebook account is not needed to view the page, which can be found here.
The NCNLA is also working with the North Carolina Cooperative Extension and the North Carolina Farm Bureau to gauge the extent of the damage to businesses in the green industry.
The Damage and Loss Assessment Survey is divided into four categories for landscape firms, wholesale nurseries and retail garden centers to report damage that may have occurred to crops, facilities, stored materials and equipment. The NCNLA encourages those affected to take the online survey, as additional aid may be given due to the severity of the storm. The survey can be taken here.
For those looking for information about federal and state aid resources, NCNLA has created a Hurricane Recovery Resource page on its website listing the available programs for rebuilding. The page also includes details about who is eligible for the programs and who to contact when requesting assistance.
“Ours is a unique industry, one in which competitors come together to lift one another up,” Rollins said. “We’re going to need every bit of that support in the weeks and months ahead.”
