Gov. Cooper tours Fair Bluff Fire Station, talks hurricane recovery

FAIR BLUFF, NC (WWAY) — Nearly three years after Hurricane Matthew devastated Fair Bluff, and nearly a year after Florence made things even worse, Governor Roy Cooper came to speak with leaders about recovery.

Gov. Cooper toured the Fair Bluff Fire Station, which he last saw as it was being constructed. Cooper says he knows how devastating hurricanes can be, and that he is working every day to make sure long term hurricane recovery is completed.

“I think people have realized that buyouts have to be a part of the solution for Fair Bluff and also maybe having some people relocated to higher ground,” Gov. Cooper said. “Because we know that these storms are going to continue to come and they’re going to be more intense than ever.”

Cooper added that while there is some holdups at the federal level, he believes the state government is in good shape.

“With our new North Carolina Office of Recovery and Resilience, they are up and running, and we want to provide help to people as quickly as we possibly can, and we’re going to keep working,” Cooper said.

The governor says he has a meeting every Monday at 3:00 p.m. with everyone involved in hurricane recovery, where he demands a report on progress.