RALEIGH, N.C. – Governor Mike Easley has requested a disaster declaration for tornado victims in Bertie County.

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Read More:  Families Recover From Tornado
 

Easley sent a letter to the Small Business Administration Wednesday. If the declaration is approved, residents and business owners in Bertie County would be eligible for low-interest loans as well as financial help from the state disaster assistance program to help with repairs. Under the state disaster assistance program, people would first have to apply for the SBA loans.

 

Easley also met with local emergency response officials and conducted an aerial tour of tornado damage in Onslow County Wednesday.

 

“The residents in Bertie and Onslow counties whose homes were damaged or destroyed by the tornadoes have a long recovery process ahead and the state is going to do everything we can to assist in these efforts,” said Easley said in a press release.

 

Thirty homes that were destroyed or damaged were not covered by insurance. 

 

In Onslow County, six homes and one business were destroyed.  Nine structures suffered major damage, six suffered minor damage.  Most homes were insured. 

 

Twelve people were injured in the storms in Bertie and Onslow counties.  As many as 16 tornadoes were reported to have moved through the eastern part of the state on Sunday.