Governor requests $13.5B from Congress for Hurricane Helene recovery

FLAT ROCK, N.C. — Gov. Josh Stein announced on Monday a request for nearly $13.5 billion in new funding from Congress to aid Hurricane Helene recovery efforts in western North Carolina.

FEMA distributes $28 million in additional funds for Hurricane Helene recovery

The requested funds aim to restore homes and small businesses, support local government services, and rebuild roads and bridges. Stein plans to meet with federal officials in Washington, D.C., to discuss the importance of these resources for recovery.

The proposal includes $8 billion from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery funding.

Additionally, Stein, who was in Henderson County on Monday, is seeking nearly $2 billion from the Federal Emergency Management Agency in Special Community Disaster Loans to help local governments finance essential services.

The request also includes $2 billion from the U.S. Department of Transportation to restore roads and critical infrastructure, including I-40.

Stein is urging federal agencies to allocate funding to North Carolina that was previously appropriated by Congress in the American Relief Act of 2025.

The total request, including new and previously appropriated funds, amounts to $23 billion.Current federal support covers approximately 9% of the total damage suffered by western North Carolina.In comparison, other storms like Hurricanes Katrina, Maria, and Sandy received federal funding covering 70% of recovery costs.Stein’s request would increase federal support for North Carolina to 47%.

“Nearly a year has passed since Hurricane Helene struck western North Carolina, and it’s been nearly nine months since Congress last appropriated money toward recovery. Just like folks in the gulf states, the mid-Atlantic, and Puerto Rico, the people of western North Carolina deserve federal support after a major hurricane, and the time to act is now,” said Stein in a news release. “Western North Carolinians are counting on the federal government for help to rebuild homes, support small businesses, and repair roads. I call on Congress to deliver for western North Carolina its fair share and appropriate an additional $13.5 billion in funding for Helene recovery.”

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