Easley Tours Flood Damage In Cumberland, Hoke Counties

Officials say the problems are centered in Hoke and Cumberland counties. Officials say Hope Mills was the hardest hit by the flooding. The rush of water from the town's lake destroyed a dam and a nearby road. The dam at nearby Lake Upchurch is also gone.

State geologists now claim runoff from Fayetteville, combined with eight inches of rain, caused the dams to collapse.

Easley said the state will help the town pay for the repairs, although he said they may not be enough damage to ask for federal assistance. However, U.S. Congressman Mike McIntyre has contacted FEMA and the Army Corps of Engineers.

Easley said the recent flooding situation raises a bigger problem statewide. He said there are many lakes and ponds that were at one time farms that they have now been turned into subdivisions.

Easley also proposed that federal, state and local agencies combine their data about dams so they will know how many dams exist statewide, when the dams were last inspected and the criteria for their inspection.