Feds dole out $5M for Hurricane Matthew relief

The Department of Transportation (DOT) is doling out $5 million to assist with Hurricane Matthew recovery efforts in North Carolina, the head of the agency announced Wednesday.

{mosads}Speaking at a pen-and-pad session with reporters, Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said the agency is in the process of sending $5 million to North Carolina, one of the states impacted by the deadly storm last week. The DOT is handling emergency funding requests to support rebuilding efforts.

“North Carolina has made a request for emergency relief funds to support rebuilding some of the road networks that were impacted,” Foxx said. “We’ve sent $5 million. It’s happening right now.”

“We will support the other states in a like manner,” he added.

Foxx expects the DOT to hear from more states like Florida as officials assess the extent of the damage and figure out what to ask for.

Hurricane Matthew, which traveled from the Caribbean to the southeastern coast of the U.S last week, has wiped out entire roads, toppled power lines and knocked down trees.

“We are monitoring the situation very carefully with our partners and with the various states,” Foxx said. “Those requests come to us and we process them as quickly as we can.”