The North Carolina state House unanimously approved a measure on Tuesday to allocate an additional $500 million towards Hurricane Helene recovery efforts in western North Carolina. This funding would supplement the funds previously approved by the Republican-controlled General Assembly in late 2024 to address disaster recovery activities following the historic flooding in the mountains in September.
Democratic Gov. Josh Stein had requested legislators to approve more than double the amount, totaling $1.07 billion, citing the urgent need to assist struggling businesses, displaced residents, and public school students in the region. While GOP lawmakers agree on the necessity of providing more funds promptly, they are cautious about maximizing federal matching funds and avoiding errors made in response to previous storms. They anticipate approving additional aid for Helene recovery in the coming months.
The legislation, which will now move to the Senate, includes $225 million from previously earmarked Helene aid to support the current measure. This bill represents an early test for the relationship between the legislature and Gov. Stein, especially since Republicans no longer hold a veto-proof majority.
The aftermath of Hurricane Helene in North Carolina was devastating, resulting in over 100 deaths, damage to 74,000 homes, and destruction of roads, bridges, and culverts. The storm caused an estimated $59.6 billion in damages and recovery needs.
The House bill focuses on repairing damaged homes, private bridges, roads, assisting farmers who suffered crop losses, and rebuilding infrastructure near small businesses. While some provisions from Gov. Stein's spending proposal were omitted, House Republicans introduced an amendment to allocate $15 million to nonprofit organizations for small business revitalization grants.
Local Democrats expressed satisfaction with the adjustments but voiced concerns about the timeliness and adequacy of federal and state funding. Thousands of displaced residents are currently receiving assistance, debris remains uncleared, and businesses reliant on tourism are facing uncertainty.
Gov. Stein's administration anticipates receiving over $15 billion in Helene recovery funds from federal sources, with an additional request for $13.1 billion made to Washington last week. Another House measure under consideration aims to utilize $475 million from state reserves to establish a statewide crop loss program for 2024 disasters.
Additionally, the House preliminarily approved a bill to raise the permanent maximum unemployment benefit in the state from $350 to $450 per week, while terminating a former executive order that temporarily increased benefits to $600 per week in response to Hurricane Helene.
