RALEIGH, N.C. — On Friday, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper gave the green light to a substantial disaster relief package exceeding $600 million aimed at aiding counties in the western part of the state that were impacted by Hurricane Helene. This decision followed the passage of the recovery bill by legislators the previous day.
This recent legislation marks the second round of recovery efforts for western North Carolina, coming after the General Assembly had previously approved an initial relief package of $273 million earlier this month. The governor’s office has indicated that the total damages and recovery needs in the area following the hurricane could reach $53 billion.
“Western North Carolina requires significant resources to fully recover from what has been the most catastrophic storm our state has ever faced,” Cooper remarked in a statement. “Legislators have taken an initial step here, and they should aim for a more extensive package to support families, businesses, and communities in rebuilding stronger.”
Hurricane Helene inflicted extensive damage across the region, resulting in approximately 1,400 landslides and affecting over 160 water and sewer systems, as per the state budget office. The storm also severely impacted transportation infrastructure, damaging around 6,000 miles (9,650 kilometers) of roads as well as more than 1,000 bridges and culverts.
The storm’s aftermath has brought a grim toll, with state officials reporting 98 fatalities in North Carolina due to the storm.
The recovery bill passed by the Republican-led legislature includes several key provisions: $50 million designated for small business loans, $100 million earmarked for local government to address water system repairs, and $5 million allocated for mental health services for public school students.
Although the $600 million figure is significant, it falls short of Governor Cooper’s request for $3.9 billion aimed at supporting businesses, agricultural initiatives, and utility repairs. Republican leaders in the legislature have indicated they will review Cooper’s funding request in the coming weeks. The General Assembly is scheduled to reconvene on November 19.
“The process to assess the total recovery needs is still ongoing,” said Senate leader Phil Berger during a press briefing. “What we have done is allocate adequate resources at this juncture to address some of the immediate priorities that require expedient action.”
In addition to disaster relief, legislators on Thursday passed another piece of legislation mandating at least one in-person early voting location for every 30,000 registered voters across 13 counties in western North Carolina. Because this was considered local legislation, it did not require Governor Cooper’s approval.