U.S. Department of Transportation
Federal Highway Administration
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, DC 20590
202-366-4000
North Carolina Division
The Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) Emergency Relief, or ER, program can help State and local agencies fund repairs to Federal-aid eligible roads, bridges, and other infrastructure after a natural disaster such as hurricanes.
The repair work within the right-of-way of Federal-aid highways is usually eligible to receive ER funds, if the roadway is in an affected county that is included in the Governor's Declaration or Presidential Declaration.
The decision to seek financial assistance for a disaster event under the FHWA's ER program rests with NCDOT. Local agencies with damage to Federal-aid highways should make their application for ER reimbursement through NCDOT. It is NCDOT's responsibility to seek ER funding for the repair of Federal-aid highways, regardless of which jurisdiction.The FHWA Emergency Relief Manual outlines two types of repairs following a disaster: emergency repairs and permanent repairs.
Emergency repairs are made during or right after a disaster to restore essential traffic, to minimize the extent of damage, or to protect the remaining facilities. Repairs that go beyond these three objectives are permanent repairs. State and local highway authorities are empowered to immediately begin emergency repairs to restore essential traffic service and to prevent further damage to Federal-aid highway facilities. Properly documented costs with before and after photos are usually eligible for reimbursement. On the other hand, permanent repairs require prior FHWA approval.
Permanent repairs are those repairs undertaken after the occurrence of a disaster to restore the highway to its pre-disaster condition. The total cost of ER funding for a project is typically limited to the cost of repair or reconstruction of a comparable facility that meets the current geometric and construction standards required for the types and volume of traffic that the facility will carry over its design life. Under certain circumstances, betterments may be eligible for if demonstrated to be cost-effective; an example would be for resilience improvements. This eligibility is limited to those portions of the facility that have been damaged.
Damage Assessments: NCDOT in coordination with the FHWA North Carolina Division office undertakes damage surveys and/or detailed site inspections. This may include local authorities where appropriate. Typically, this involves on-the-ground visits of the damage sites to verify the extent of damage and to determine the cost of repairs eligible for ER funding. Specific sites not visited by FHWA are subject to review and approval of all required documentation.
Implementation of Projects: ER construction contracts are advanced generally in similar fashion as regular Federal-aid highway projects. The total amount of ER funding provided is based on the Federal share of actual costs incurred by NCDOT and local highway authorities to complete eligible repair activities.
The Final ER eligibility and reimbursement will be based on the documentation submitted showing cost, justification, and compliance with Federal requirements.
FHWA North Carolina Division – (919) 856-4346
The Emergency Relief process is explained in a series of four videos:
Note: Each video has a printable "Companion Resource" on its website.
Links to related Code of Federal Regulations and other information
