The office of North Carolina Gov. Jim Hunt announced that the Hurricane Floyd Relief Fund has raised $18 million since its inception Sept. 17 to help flood victims in Eastern North Carolina recover from the damaging storm, the News & Observer in Raleigh, N.C., reports.

More than 65,000 people and businesses have contributed to the fund. Their money will help flood victims make mortgage payments, home repairs and pay for utilities, the newspaper reports. The money also is used to purchase furniture, appliance and other household items lost in the flood.

Each county's portion of the money was based on damage assessments and registrations with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the newspaper reports. Each county also determines how the money should be allocated.

About $6 million was handed out in October, $7 million in November, and another $3.5 million was distributed in December, the governor's office reported.

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02/nc07.html