UNC Health, Apex among North Carolina recipients of $48 million FEMA grants

Roxboro will get $2.4 million to repair dam spillway damage from Tropical Depression Chantal last July, while UNC Health will get $7 million to reimburse emergency measures taken to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and Apex will receive $223,000 to evaluate facilities and identify flood-mitigation steps as FEMA sent $48 million to North Carolina recovery and preparedness projects.

The $48 million covers nearly 40 recovery and mitigation projects across North Carolina, including $41.9 million for nearly 30 Public Assistance projects that reimburse communities for debris removal, infrastructure repair and emergency protective measures. Another $17.5 million is going to the North Carolina Department of Emergency Management for disaster management and debris removal efforts, and $2.4 million is going to the North Carolina Department of Transportation for debris removal and road repairs.

For Wake County, the Apex grant comes as the town prepares for a major health-care buildout at US-1 and NC-540. NC Children’s, the UNC Health and Duke Health partnership, selected a 230-acre campus in Apex in July 2025, a project expected to bring about 8,000 jobs to Wake County. Groundbreaking on the children’s hospital and health campus is expected in 2027. Dr. Wesley Burks said the campus would create a “brighter, healthier future” for children across North Carolina.

The money also includes $3.1 million for seven pre-disaster and hazard mitigation projects through the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program. That includes $1.8 million to update North Carolina building codes and standards.