RALEIGH — Department of Homeland Security Sec. Kristi Noem announced last Wednesday that more than $116 million will be headed to North Carolina for Hurricane Helene recovery efforts.
“This investment will repair and restore critical public infrastructure across North Carolina, including schools, public safety facilities, utilities, and community services,” Noem said. “North Carolina communities are rebuilding stronger, and today’s approvals show this Administration’s commitment to cutting red tape and getting recovery dollars out the door faster.”
The Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) release noted that more than $1 billion was provided to North Carolina for recovery efforts before the $116 million and that FEMA has paid over $549 million in grants directly to survivors.
Noem thanked several Republican legislators from the state, including Sen. Ted Budd and Reps. Virginia Foxx, Chuck Edwards and David Rouzer, as well as U.S. Senate Republican candidate Michael Whatley, for “their strong advocacy on behalf of North Carolinians.”
Noem’s press release said the money includes $72 million in Public Assistance grant program reimbursements and $44.6 million in Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) funds.
According to Noem, notable FEMA Public Assistance Grants obligated to the state include:
- $34.7 million to the North Carolina Department of Transportation for road and bridge repairs across more than 300 sites in Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Caldwell, Henderson, Mitchell, Surry and Watauga counties.
- $17.6 million to Rutherford County for the removal of 700,000 cubic yards of debris and 75,000 trees and limbs from public rights of way, and the operation of four debris reduction sites.
- $10.5 million to Asheville for potable water distribution, the repair or replacement of more than 100 fleet vehicles, DeBruhl Water Treatment Plant repairs and road repairs.
- $3.7 million to Beech Mountain for repairs to the town’s sewer system and wastewater treatment plant.
FEMA also approved $23 million under the HMGP for the first homeowner buyouts related to Hurricane Helene. Those investments include:
- Acquiring flood-prone properties in Buncombe County (approximately $14.2 million).
- Acquiring flood-prone properties in Henderson County (approximately $9.2 million).
- Elevating 14 homes in Beaufort County (approximately $2.5 million).
Budd applauded the funding.
“Ever since Hurricane Helene devastated the lives of more than half a million North Carolinians, I have been working non-stop to obtain approval for federal relief necessary to rebuild Western North Carolina,” said Budd in a statement, citing his engagement with Noem’s agency and FEMA on the HMGP.
“While this is another promising step in the right direction, there are still families awaiting buyouts for their damaged and destroyed properties,” Budd said, adding he would continue working to help western North Carolina recover.
DHS announced the funding the same morning Gov. Josh Stein was in Washington, D.C., to meet with lawmakers to repeat his September 2025 ask for an additional $13.5 billion from Congress.
On X, Stein noted he was in D.C. and thanked DHS, FEMA, Budd and Sen. Thom Tillis for the $116 million in funding as “progress.” Hours after that post, Stein returned to X with criticisms, including comparing federal funding percentages for Helene relief to some of the biggest storms to hit the United States, including Katrina and Sandy.
“To date, federal funding has covered only about 12% of the total damage Hurricane Helene caused, far less than after other major storms,” Stein wrote. “It’s time for Congress to give western North Carolina its fair share.”
The governor’s storm chart and post aligned with a formal press release issued by Stein regarding his trip to Washington, D.C.
“The federal government has committed just over $7 billion toward western North Carolina’s recovery since Hurricane Helene,” Stein said. “While we are grateful for every dollar and this aid has been critical to our recovery work, it represents only 12 percent of the storm’s total damage.
“Typically, the federal government contributes about 50% of damage to the impacted state. It’s been more than a year since Congress has delivered relief for western North Carolina, and it’s time for the people of western North Carolina to get their fair share. Disaster recovery is a team sport, and western North Carolinians can’t afford for the federal government to sit on the sidelines.”
The past major storms cited by Stein all had different circumstances, with recovery and funding spanning from three to over eight years.
Stein’s D.C. trip press release was accompanied by a letter to the North Carolina Congressional Delegation that outlined spending and continued needs.
“The federal government has partnered in our recovery efforts from the very beginning, and we are grateful for every dollar we have received,” Stein wrote in his letter. “Still, current federal support is not enough. … Nearly $2.9 billion has been obligated or disbursed to projects or directly to survivors through federal programs.
“Given the scale of the damage, this amount of federal support to date is simply not enough to help impacted communities rebuild and not be forgotten.”
The Helene Recovery spending dashboard maintained by the Office of the North Carolina State Auditor shows 250 projects with a $3.5 billion actual spend out of a $6.5 billion in total state and federal dollars. The same dashboard shows actual operational expenditures to date for Stein’s recovery office GROW NC of more than $2.585 million.
Aside from federal relief money, the North Carolina General Assembly has appropriated approximately $2.9 billion in state funding for Helene recovery efforts to date. The estimated damage from the storm is around $60 billion with still funded needs estimated during a legislative hearing last October of $45 billion.
