(The Center Square) – Two bills have been filed in the U.S. House of Representatives directed at disaster relief following the catastrophic impact of Hurricane Helene in North Carolina and other states in the South.
Authored by U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., the legislation is supportive of an Oct. 3 letter signed by 14 members of the House and directed to President Joe Biden and four members of his Cabinet.
“Congress can, and should, pursue commonsense solutions to aid in disaster recovery efforts – the solutions that I have placed on the table help lead the way,” Foxx wrote on social media.
The Disaster Recovery and Resilience Act of 2024, also known as House Resolution 10087, in part amends the Stafford Act. A low bidder for work in a federal disaster declaration area can be awarded the work separate of payment requirements backed by the union.
The president, if the bill becomes law, would be able to create an Emergency Recovery Board inclusive of federal, state and local entities that navigates suspension or modification of regulations and laws that can slow recovery and development.
The Helene Recovery Support Act, also known as House Resolution 10088, would appropriate $12.5 billion to FEMA. Further, it appropriates $1.5 billion to the Small Business Administration, $1 billion to the New Markets Tax Credit, and rescinds $15 billion from the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp.
In their letter, the congressional delegation said discretion is needed with regard to the National Environmental Policy Act in order for people of the region to “rebuild and return to normal.”
“The federal government,” the letter reads in part, “can support these communities by ensuring federal regulations are waived or interpreted to provide maximum discretion to state and local authorities, consistent with applicable laws and regulations.”
The letter is addressed to Biden, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, Interior Department Secretary Deb Haaland, Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Deanne Criswell, and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan.
The letter is signed by Foxx and U.S. Reps. Dr. Greg Murphy, R-N.C.; Chuck Edwards, R-N.C.; Dan Bishop, R-N.C.; Patrick McHenry, R-N.C.; David Rouzer, R-N.C.; Richard Hudson, R-N.C.; Dr. Richard McCormick, R-Ga.; William Timmons, R-S.C.; John Rose, R-Tenn.; Kat Cammack, R-Fla.; and Dr. Neal Dunn, R-Fla.
The mountain counties of North Carolina on Friday began the seventh week of recovery from the storm which came ashore in the Big Bend of Florida. Helene dissipated over the mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee, dumping more than 30 inches of rain in multiple places.
Helene is responsible for 231 fatalities across the South, including 102 in North Carolina. Respective state officials say 49 were killed in South Carolina, 34 in Georgia, 25 in Florida, 18 in Tennessee, two in Virginia and one in Indiana. Numbers were confirmed by The Center Square based on information supplied by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services; South Carolina Department of Public Safety; Georgia Emergency Management Agency; Florida Department of Law Enforcement; Tennessee Emergency Management Agency; Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin; and the Gibson County Sheriff’s Office in Indiana.
Helene is the fourth most deadly hurricane from the Atlantic Basin in the last three-quarters of a century. Only Katrina (2005, deaths 1,392), Audrey (1957, deaths 416) and Camille (1969, deaths 256) killed more people.
Flooding was catastrophic, arguably the worst storm for North Carolina since Hurricanes Floyd in 1999 and Hazel in 1954 – the latter the only Category 4 hurricane to make landfall on state shores, the former causing a once in 500 years flood.
According to PowerOutage.us on Friday morning, the total without power in Yancey County is 304. At the height of the storm the last weekend of September, more than 1 million lost power.
According to DriveNC.org, the total road closures because of Helene is 292. This includes one interstate, 21 federal highways, 29 state roads and 241 secondary roads.
