ECU estimates damages from Hurricane Floyd

The damages to the campus from Hurricane Floyd topped out at an estimated $7 million and the state has issued directives to all institutions and departments on how to pay for these and other flood damage costs.

In the ECU damage report, the repairs to buildings and the repair or replacement of equipment were estimated at $4.55 million. Steam lines and condensate equipment to feed Christenbury Gym and Jones Residence Hall comprised nearly half of the total capital repairs. Five buildings — Howell Science, General Classroom, Brewster, Tyler Residence Hall and Todd Dining Hall — suffered varying degrees of equipment damage, mostly from storm runoff.

There was roofing work, construction, repairs to roadways, computers, telephones, replacement of a Developmental Evaluation Clinic trailer and electrical switching devices included in the report.

The other costs in the overall $7 million were attributed to overtime expenses, estimated at $820,00, and operating expenses including financial assistance to student victims at $1.63 million. The Office of State Budge and Management has issued a directive to all state agencies that freezes funds for capital improvement projects and adds an additional one percent to the reversion amount that state departments and institutions return to the general fund from their fiscal year appropriations.

State budget officer Marvin Dorman Jr., said in the directive that the action was necessary “to reduce general fund expenditures and insure that the (matching grants from the Federal Emergency Management Agency) will be available.”