Code Enforcement Inspectors to Deploy to Eastern North Carolina in Wake of Hurricane Matthew

As many as five Mecklenburg County code officials will deploy to eastern North Carolina for up to two weeks to help with code inspections as clean up and repairs get underway after Hurricane Matthew. This will begin as soon as flood waters recede, expected to be later this week.

"When a disaster like this occurs, the damage is so widespread that nearly every aspect of the local infrastructure is typically overwhelmed," said Ebenezer Gujjarlapudi, director of Mecklenburg County's Land Use & Environmental Services Agency, which houses Code Enforcement.

On top of the obvious difficulties caused by flooding and high winds, communities also see a spike in permit applications and inspections requests in the aftermath of a storm due to the repairs under way. Certain work must be permitted and inspected by state law, but the widespread nature of the repairs can make it difficult for local code authorities to keep pace.

Mecklenburg County is sending building, electrical and multi-trade inspectors to help local code officials complete inspections in a more timely manner. Much of this work is expected to focus on residential repairs. The extra hands will allow repairs to proceed faster and allows property owners to quicken the pace of moving on from the disruption caused by the storm.

As we serve our fellow citizens, Mecklenburg County Code Enforcement respectfully asks its customers to be patient in the coming weeks -- fewer code officials on duty in Mecklenburg means fewer inspections completed in a given amount of time. Five residential inspectors can complete about 375 inspections in a week, so this may mean a slight delay for Mecklenburg customers awaiting inspections, especially residential customers. Know that Mecklenburg County Code Enforcement is committed to efficient inspections without compromising safety, and will strive to meet local demand in as timely a way as possible, while helping our neighbors.

"Safety and our customers are always our highest priorities," Gujjarlapudi said. "But in this special circumstance, when people are hurting and trying to rebuild, we wanted to do everything we could to be good neighbors, and we know our customers will support our participation."

For questions about how your inspections may be affected, please contact Code Enforcement's Customer Service Center at 980-314-CODE.

Thank you for your patience, and for being our valued customer.