ASHEVILLE — More than 18 months after Hurricane Helene carved a path of destruction through Western North Carolina, state and local leaders are pressing for billions more in federal assistance even as new funding announcements signal incremental progress in what officials describe as the largest natural disaster recovery effort in the state's history.
Gov. Josh Stein announced $40 million in disaster relief and mitigation funding on March 6, part of a broader package that includes $75 million secured for child care facilities, $472 million for drinking water and wastewater infrastructure, and $5.7 million targeted at flood resilience projects within the French Broad River Basin.
Despite those commitments, advocates say the region has received only about $7 billion of the roughly $60 billion in total estimated damages — just 11% of identified need. Matt Calabria, director of the GROW NC initiative, traveled to Washington on Feb. 25 to press federal officials for an additional $13.5 billion in aid, calling the current pace of assistance insufficient for communities still struggling to rebuild.
"We are grateful for what has come, but the gap between what has arrived and what is needed remains enormous," Calabria said.
The state has also opened $38 million in Streamflow Rehabilitation Assistance grants to WNC counties, aimed at stabilizing waterways damaged by Helene's flooding. The Renew NC Single-Family Housing Program, which helps displaced homeowners rebuild or repair, has received more than 7,000 applications, underscoring the persistent scale of residential devastation across the region.
State officials say they remain committed to advocating for full federal reimbursement and urge residents with unmet recovery needs to contact state assistance hotlines.