THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, August 5, 1996 TAG: 9608050030
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: BAYVIEW LENGTH: 48 lines
Small boats along the Pamlico and Pungo rivers have few places to dock after Hurricane Bertha wreaked havoc in eastern counties last month.
Ninety percent of the piers and many of the docks along the rivers were damaged or destroyed from the storm three weeks ago, said Terry Moore of the state Division of Coastal Management.
The division's district office in Washington, N.C., has been swamped with 400 applications for permits to repair or rebuild damaged structures.
``It's like trying to re-permit about 20 years' worth of building,'' Moore said.
The damage is particularly noticeable in Bayview on the north shore of the Pamlico River, where at least 60 piers and docks were destroyed or heavily damaged. Waterfront homes with piers as long as 400 feet extend only with rows of bare pilings standing in the water.
William Early, who has a second home at Bayview, never found a 135-foot section of his pier that had stood over the water since 1968. He did find someone else's.
``There's a section in my yard but I don't know where it came from,'' he said.
Extensive damage also was reported on the south side of the Pamlico, at piers and marinas along the Neuse River in Craven County and along the Swansboro waterfront. Piers usually are not covered by insurance policies, and a typical contractor charges $40 to $75 a foot to build one.
The Division of Coastal Management has waived a $50 fee for general permits needed to repair or replace existing piers and by extending the time for repairs. Normally, damaged piers must be repaired in 90 days, but the agency will allow owners until next July to complete the work.
The most structural damage from Bertha occurred in coastal communities, where hundreds of homes were damaged. Agricultural losses also were estimated at more than $150 million. ILLUSTRATION: Post-hurricane living is without pier
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Chuck Sumrell ties his boat to a post that was part of a pier near
his home on the Pamlico River. After Hurricane Bertha had blown
through the Bayview area, many of the docks and piers were damaged
or destroyed. Rebuilding rules are being relaxed.
KEYWORDS: HURRICANE BERTHA by CNB