The anniversary has brought renewed attention to the region's long and difficult recovery, which local leaders say has not been adequately supported by the federal government.
The discussion intensified following a White House statement on Wednesday, September 3, 2025, that criticized North Carolina Governor Josh Stein. According to News 13, White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said, "President Trump cares deeply about the people of North Carolina who were affected by Hurricane Helene, and Governor Stein’s request is evidence that he is unfit to run a state."
In response, state representatives held a news conference at Pack Square. "If President Trump is arguing that Governor Stein is not running our state’s financial situation well, then President Trump doesn’t understand how our state government works," said N.C. State Representative Lindsey Prather.
Just a day earlier, during an NC Strong Update, Governor Stein had called on the federal government to provide an $11.5 billion supplemental disaster appropriation for Hurricane Helene recovery. He highlighted that federal support so far has not matched the level of funding provided to other states after major storms. Prather further emphasized this point at the news conference, stating, "Our governor has asked for reimbursement of up to 44% of this storm and so far, we have received 6% from the federal government of what the total cost of the storm is."
Representative Eric Ager argued that 6% is a far cry from the federal funds allocated for other major disasters. "Hurricane Sandy, they got 78% of that storm’s damage was funded by the federal government. Katrina – 73%, Matthew - 53%, and even Florence, which was not particularly well-managed, was 20%," Ager said.
To date, the state has allocated $2.9 billion to help North Carolinians recover from the estimated $60 billion storm. Ager says the funds are not nearly enough and have been distributed too slowly. "There’s lots of businesses that saw real damage, but there’s also businesses that didn’t have water for months, there’s businesses that didn’t have tourists in the busiest time of year here in Asheville and those businesses still need our support," he stated. The Trump administration has countered, arguing its cost share has lasted longer than any other storm in its history.
However, Prather believes that without additional support, many local businesses will not survive. "We’re going into another tourist season and so many of these businesses still aren’t ready and so the need is just as bad as it was six months ago," she said.
WNCTimes
Image: Town of Lake Lure