By Shelley Smith
ssmith@salisburypost.com
The storms that blew through Rowan County last week did not cause enough damage for residents to qualify for low-interest loans or individual assistance grants, state officials said Wednesday.
To qualify, an area must have had at least 25 homes and/or businesses with at least 40 percent loss to the structure, with major damage or complete destruction, the stateís emergency management team said.
Rowan Countyís damage assessment team took 36 reports of damages across Rowan after the April 5 storm. On April 7, state officials visited Rowan County to look at reports and see a few sites.
Rowan County Emergency Management Division Coordinator Frank Thomason said he was waiting for state emergency management officials to contact him with the ěofficial notification,î after contacting them several times over the past week concerning Rowan Countyís state assessment.
The storms crippled Rowan County, leaving thousands without power and some in the dark until April 7, closed Rowan-Salisbury Schools April 5 due to power outages, and caused some to lose their homes and businesses.