(The Center Square) – Hurricane Helene aid for North Carolinians has poured in, plenty in goods and gifts, and a controversial amount in governmental fiscal strength.
The storm that killed 103 and caused an estimated $53 billion in damage is arguably the state’s worst natural disaster. Politicians have taken action, made pledges, and been roundly criticized for not doing enough.
That’s in Raleigh and Washington.
As the 12th week of recovery closed on Thursday, state lawmakers have passed legislation for more than $1.1 billion in relief to western North Carolina. Various federal legislation packages have requested billions more.
North Carolina
The Disaster Recovery Act of 2024 passed Oct. 9. The $273 million package was mostly to different state agencies and local governments who can then use the money to help those most affected. It included $250 million for the state and local match of federal disaster assistance programs; $16 million for the Department of Public Instruction for school nutrition employee compensation; $5 million for the State Board of Elections Administration changes; and $2 million to the Office of State Budget and Management for grants.
The bill also included assistance in education; agriculture and environmental quality; transportation; retirements; taxes; the Department of Health and Human Services; and some election-related changes.
The Disaster Recovery Act of 2024 – Part II was passed Oct. 24. This legislation provided more than $877 million toward relief from Helene, and another $40 million for four storms. The largest portions were $100 million to the Local Government Commission, $100 million to the Department of Environmental Quality, and $75 million for state and local match of federal disaster assistance programs.
The third package, Disaster Relief-3/Budget/Various Law Changes, required a veto override to get through and has since been litigated. The legislation is 132 pages, the first 13 of which are related to Helene and the remainder for the “various law changes” that include shifting authorities from elected offices. The latter was the sticking point.
The package included $252 million in Helene relief, bringing the state’s total to just more than $1.1 billion. It also appropriated another $50 million to help the Office of Recovery and Resiliency remain open.
Cooper made a 99-page request for $3.9 billion to the Legislature in October. The Republican majorities indicated, and have followed through on, paying installments amounts.
Federal
Federal aid has already come through agencies in time and resources, such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Troops have been sent, including National Guardsmen from other states.
A clearly defined package from Congress, however, on Thursday before Christmas remained wanted at the Beltway but yet to be delivered. At one point, it was meshed with a continuing resolution to keep the government open to March. In others, it’s been pitched by members of Congress and President Joe Biden.
In mid-November, Biden’s administration gave a $98 billion proposal that included not only Helene but a number of other natural disasters. The help was for Hurricanes Helene and Milton, devastating fires in Maui, and tornados in Mississippi, Iowa and Oklahoma.
The fiscal breakdown was $40 billion for the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Disaster Relief Fund, $23.5 billion for farmers and rural development, $4 billion for water infrastructure and $2.2 billion for Small Business Administration loans.
Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper and some members of North Carolina’s congressional delegation, about the same time as Biden’s letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., made a pitch for $25.57 billion. He was joined by Republican U.S. Sens. Thom Tillis and Ted Budd, and Republican U.S. Rep. Chuck Edwards.
Cooper’s request aimed for $7.41 billion from the U.S. Department of Transportation and FEMA; nearly $6 billion from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development; $1.75 billion from FEMA for the Community Disaster Loan Program; $1.67 billion from the U.S. Department of Agriculture; and $1.23 billion from the Small Business Administration from the Home and Personal Property Disaster Loan Program.
