(The Center Square) – More than 2,700 North Carolina individuals and families using hotels have extended stays until Memorial Day in the FEMA Transitional Sheltering Assistance Program that is part of recovery from Hurricane Helene.
A Sunday letter from Brett Howard to Gov. Josh Stein said its response to the first-term Democrats’ request is an additional 60 days through the night of May 25 with hotel check-out on May 26.
Howard, federal coordinating officer and manager of Disaster Recovery, also wrote that per policy, the Federal Emergency Management Agency “previously approved the program for the full 180 days from the date of declaration. Under the original approval, the program under DR-4827-NC” was scheduled for a last night March 26 and hotel check-out March 27.
Clarity for the process has been difficult. On Thursday, Stein had written a letter asking Administrator Deanne Criswell to extend the program “beyond its March 31 deadline.” On Monday evening of last week, FEMA’s Region 4 had posted to social media “FEMA is extending the Transitional Sheltering Assistance hotel stays until Jan. 25 for 3,000+ who are eligible.”
The prior weekend, as a storm with snow was approaching, congressional and state leaders were asking FEMA to move a Friday hotel check-out date, which was granted first to that Saturday, Jan. 11, then to Jan. 14 and eventually to Jan. 25.
Stein recognized the Region 4 post within an hour, and the governor’s press office gave confirmation to The Center Square the following morning.
Upon getting Sunday’s letter from Howard, Stein said in a statement, “Today’s decision will help eligible disaster survivors stay safe and sheltered as we continue the hard work of rebuilding in western North Carolina. FEMA’s decision to extend the Transitional Sheltering Assistance Program for two months is a positive step forward and frees eligible disaster survivors from worrying about being kicked out of the program in March.”
Helene killed 104 in North Carolina and 233 across seven states. The storm made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane in Dekle Beach, Fla., on Sept. 26. It dissipated over the mountains of the state and Tennessee, dropping more than 30 inches of rain in some places and over 24 consistently across more.
The estimated damage is more than $53 billion, according to a report from former Gov. Roy Cooper. Federal government help so far has been about $9 billion from a $110 billion package signed in December by President Joe Biden, plus FEMA assistance. State government help has included more than $1.1 billion in appropriation from three legislative packages, with more expected.