(The Center Square) – Peace of mind that comes through recovery from a hurricane more times than not requires money. And western North Carolina remains in need of peace.
Saturday marks the start of the 65th week of recovery from Hurricane Helene, arguably the state’s worst natural disaster in history. The storm killed 108 in the state, 237 in the South, and caused an estimated $60 billion to $80 billion in damage in North Carolina.
Progress is both incredible and crawling at a snail’s pace. Residents, their homes and the communities have overcome challenges. At the same time, more work is to be done in what is easily estimated as an overall minimum five-year recovery.
Friday marked Day 172 without the General Assembly implementing the two-year state budget. Despite the law saying it happens on July 1, legislators are mainly haggling over reduction of income taxes and state employee raise amounts.
The lawmakers want to refill what has been taken from the rainy day fund, also known as the Savings Reserve in the General Fund. As of June 30, the close of the fiscal year 2025, the balance was $3.62 billion. The goal will be to add $1.104 billion in addition to more funding for Helene recovery.
In the interim, two pieces of legislation were signed this year by first-term Democratic Gov. Josh Stein to spur relief.
The Disaster Recovery Act of 2025 – Part II pushes total relief from the Legislature above $2.1 billion in five different packages.
This package in the last week of June had $75 million for construction and reimbursement of privately owned roads and bridges; $70 million for local government capital repairs; and $64.3 million for repair and construction of damaged schools.
There was $51.5 million allocated for local government cash-flow loan program, with no interest; $25 million to help farmers with infrastructure losses; $25 million to upgrade and enhance regional airports to support disaster responses; $18 million for fire stations and rescue squads in western North Carolina; and $15 million for a Selectsite fund to help economic development.
Within the legislation known as Disaster Recovery Act of 2025 – Part 1, the first bill Stein signed as governor in March, was $200 million to Helene-specific crop-loss and farm restoration; $120 million for rebuilding and repairing homes; and $100 million for repairing private roads and bridges.
There’s also appropriation for small business infrastructure grants; debris removal; volunteer organizations deemed essential; volunteer fire departments; learning recovery for students; and travel and tourism marketing.
Recovery for Helene also got a scathing report from first-term Republican state Auditor Dave Boliek in June. His office’s Rapid Response Division found the Community Care Station, as it was known for 189 days, operated in Swannanoa and checked in with average cost equal to $220 for a load of laundry, average hourly rate for staff of $145.50, and that with a $215 per diem daily.
The analysis said laundry services were provided at a cost of $3.9 million for 18,000 loads of laundry. The station’s cost overall, from October 2024 to April, was $27.4 million. It also provided 14,000 showers.
The rate of pay and per diem were not included in the average daily cost of the station, the auditor said.
