FEMA denies funding debris removal from Hilton Head’s poorest roads
Helen Green has been waiting a long time for someone to remove a debris pile nearly as tall as her in her poor neighborhood on Hilton Head Island’s north side.
Hurricane Matthew debris removal started churning in the island’s wealthiest gated communities just weeks after the Oct. 8 storm. But more than three months later, there is yet a plan for picking up debris from Green’s dirt road — one of 111 roads that were recently denied reimbursement for hurricane debris pickup by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
And the projected cost of that cleanup appears to be relatively inexpensive — roughly $30,000 total if estimates are accurate.
A majority of the denied roads, including Indian Pipe Lane where Green lives, are located in Ward 1 — a region on the island’s north side scattered with manufactured homes, failing septic systems and narrow dirt roads.
“There are a lot of places where debris is being picked up,” Green said. “We still live here; we are still residents. We pay taxes, but we are still at the bottom of the barrel.”
As town officials weed through FEMA guidelines for an appeal of the denial, Green said she worries what the debris piles could attract.
“I’m afraid of rodents and snakes,” she said Thursday while looking at a twisted pile of tree limbs and stumps from the six trees that fell in her yard.
A letter from FEMA to the town on Jan. 12 said the agency has to consider the “public interest at large” when deciding whether to reimburse local governments for debris removal.
“The roads lack the quantity of debris necessary to validate that this debris poses an immediate threat to life, public health, or safety, or to the economic recovery of the community at large,” according to the letter signed by Seamus Leary, FEMA federal coordinating officer.
FEMA spokeswoman Crystal Paulk-Buchanan said in an email late Friday that FEMA specialists who toured the roads found little to no debris on many of them, noting each of those roads had less than 150 cubic yards of debris.
Brian Hulbert, town attorney, said Friday that FEMA hasn’t given the town any clarification about the agency’s 150-cubic-yard rule.
“Is a small 200-yard road disqualified with 120 cubic yards, but a mile-long road with 150 cubic yards accepted?” he asked.
Overall, FEMA determined 3,035 cubic yards of debris were located on the 111 roads, according to town staff.
Many of the roads in Ward 1 are smaller than the roads found in the island’s gated communities.
Much of the land in question is referred to as heirs’ property, or property given to the descendents of slaves during reconstruction of the South following the Civil War.
Short dirt roads often connect a cluster of homes occupied by those descendents, including Green, who is retired and shares a home with her sister, who is currently out of work after receiving a cancer diagnosis.
“This land was handed down from our great, great grandfather,” Green said. “This is our family property.”
The fact that the island’s lowest-income population has been left waiting for help has some concerned.
“The federal government is not listening to all their constituents,” Marc Grant, Ward 1 Town Council member, said. “It is harder for someone who doesn’t live behind a gate. We don’t have the access to the politicians. We don’t have the resources.”
Rodell Lawrence, executive director of Penn Center, said he didn’t know the specifics as of Friday, but added the situation concerns him.
“This appears to be unfair,” he said. “I can truly say that. Clearly it has an impact on poor people.”
Confusion about the cause of the denial and the appeals process have plagued town officials in recent days.
Charles Cousins, town director of community development, told Town Council Tuesday the roads were denied partly because of the inability to prove ownership of the roads. He also said the deadline for an appeal would be this week.
Proving clear title for heirs’ property is difficult because of the way it has been passed on to families since the end of the Civil War.
Following Hurricane Matthew, state Sen. Tom Davis, R-Beaufort, worked with current U.S. Rep. and former S.C. Gov. Mark Sanford, R-Charleston, along with local and state officials, to receive approval of funding from FEMA for debris removal on private roads in Beaufort County.
Davis said Thursday if ownership of the 111 roads in question is the main concern, he was confident more conversation with FEMA could help the process.
“Heirs’ property is something relatively unique to our area, and a little bit of explanation may need to be involved,” he said. “If that is the only problem, I think we can solve it. That fact ought not stand in the way of debris being picked up.”
Yet on Friday, Hulbert said he has no reason to believe the property was denied partly because of lack of ownership. He also said the town has 60 days to appeal from Jan. 12.
Hulbert said town officials are in the process of re-driving the roads and trying to document the need for cleanup. He said it is possible many of the 111 roads will be removed from the appeal.
“A lot of the roads, there is not enough debris,” he said. “Or they have already cleared it up.”
There are some roads on the list, however, that town staff believe meet FEMA’s 150-cubic-yard requirement, Hulbert said.
Cousins said if the appeal is denied, town staff will have to ask Town Council to cover the debris-removal costs. He estimated that it costs about $10 per cubic yard to pick up debris. If FEMA estimates are correct, it could cost the town about $30,000 overall.
Grant said he will lobby council members to cover the costs if FEMA denies the appeal. He also said he will be better prepared for future disasters.
“Now we know what happens,” Grant said. “In terms of a hurricane, we need to make sure we know how to work with the town, state and feds in the future.”
Teresa Moss: 843-706-8152, @TeresaIPBG
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This story was originally published January 23, 2017 at 12:00 AM with the headline "FEMA denies funding debris removal from Hilton Head’s poorest roads."