Last Updated on March 18, 2026 2:06 pm
WATAUGA COUNTY – The restoration of the Old Cove Creek School site, damaged by Hurricane Helene, has been delayed multiple times due to federal shutdowns and errors in FEMA's initial site inspection process, according to Watauga County officials.
The county said FEMA's initial site inspection and resulting cost estimate came in at only about 10 percent of the actual costs to restore the site to pre-Helene condition and provide improvements to reduce the impact of future flooding events.
Watauga County has worked closely with federal officials at FEMA, North Carolina Emergency Management, and private contractors including Hagerty Consulting, Inc. and BREC to get the project's damages accurately assessed so appropriate funding will be allocated. Those contractors have dedicated significant time providing volumes of additional information to FEMA, including engineering models, LiDAR data, and other documentation to illustrate how the initial federal estimates were not accurate.
Due to the extent of damage to the site, the infrastructure involved at the facility, and its proximity to Cove Creek itself, the project has taken much longer to move through the federal review process than other Helene-related projects in Watauga County.
The county said significant progress had been made toward getting the project approved, but that progress has stalled due to the latest federal shutdown. FEMA staff, while required to continue working during the shutdown, are prohibited from working on any projects not considered “emergency work” under FEMA policy — specifically debris projects (Category A) and emergency protective measures (Category B). The Old Cove Creek project is classified as a Parks and Recreation Facilities Project (Category G).
The county said the project remains a top priority and that officials are working closely with contractors and federal officials to expedite the process once FEMA funding is restored.
