FEMA to spend $1 million of $2.9 million needed on Devonwood Lower Dam

The Federal Emergency Management Agency will provide more than $1 million in grants to help reconstruct the Devonwood Lower Dam that was damaged during Hurricane Matthew in 2016, a news release from U.S. Rep. Richard Hudson said Friday.

The city has previously estimated that the dam will cost $2.9 million to repair.

“After working closely with FEMA and state and local officials, I’m pleased to see Fayetteville get the funding necessary to repair Devonwood Lower Dam,” Hudson said in the news release. “This is good news for our community. I remain committed to working with my colleagues in the North Carolina delegation to ensure our community gets the federal assistance we need to rebuild from Hurricane Matthew’s destruction.”

Hudson represents North Carolina’s District 9, which encompasses part of Cumberland County.

FEMA released additional federal grants to North Carolina to pay for damage associated with Hurricane Matthew, including $1,072,065 in federal funds for damages to the Devonwood Lower Dam.

Also known as the McFadyen Drive dam, the structure and road that goes over the structure off Morganton Road are both city-owned.

Multiple members of the City Council called on Congress to help with their dispute with FEMA on funding the dam’s reconstruction during a meeting in February.

Later that month, a FEMA representative visited the dam and said that the agency could not guarantee a reimbursement commitment to the city of Fayetteville for the dam’s reconstruction.

The dam was one of two city-owned dams destroyed during the hurricane.

The Devonwood Lower Dam was damaged because water over-topped the facility and caused some slope failure on the downstream side.