(The Center Square) – With another $700 million about to be appropriated, fiscal aid eclipsing $2.1 billion will have been approved by the North Carolina General Assembly for the recovery from Hurricane Helene.
Disaster Recovery Act of 2025 – Part II, known also as House Bill 1012, passed the Senate 47-0 late Monday evening following committee substitutes and two amendments. Passage was 106-0 in the House of Representatives on May 22.
The package, if and when signed by first-term Democratic Gov. Josh Stein, will help several areas. There’s $75 million to repair and replace private roads and bridges, including $25 million reimbursing up to 50% of costs for projects already completed.
There’s $70 million to continue covering the state’s match of Federal Emergency Management Agency assistance.
In a release from Sen. Phil Berger, R-Rockingham, the chamber’s president pro tempore, immediate needs are getting $480 million. That figure includes $100 million to the cashflow loans of local governments as administered by the office of first-term Republican Treasurer Brad Briner.
The bill has $25 million for unmet local government needs; $20 million for flood mitigation grants and projects; $20 million for state and local parks through PARTF, known as the Parks and Recreation Trust Fund; $15 million for grants to volunteer fire departments and rescue squads; $15 million for the North Carolina Forest Service for wildfire assets and preparedness; $10 million for dams to be repaired, modified or removed; $8 million for repair of public schools; and $2.47 million to address community college enrollment declines.
This is the 39th week of recovery from Helene. The storm made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane in Dekle Beach, Fla., on Sept. 26. It was expected to come north to the Appalachian Mountains; however, the rainfall total from its dissipation there exceeded all forecasts.
Some places got more than 30 inches, most were at 24 inches or more. Due to terrain, water often rushed before it pooled and flooded – very unlike the flooding that happens in the coastal plains.
Within the $524 million legislation known as Disaster Recovery Act of 2025 – Part 1, or House Bill 47, was $200 million to Helene-specific crop-loss and farm restoration; $120 million for rebuilding and repairing home; and $100 million for repairing private roads and bridges.
There was also money for small business infrastructure grants; debris removal; volunteer organizations deemed essential; volunteer fire departments; learning recovery for students; and travel and tourism marketing.
The last session of the General Assembly passed three appropriations before adjournment in December.
In the Disaster Recovery Act of 2024 passed Oct. 9, the $273 million package was mostly to different state agencies and local governments which could 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 was 132 pages, the first 13 of which were related to Helene and the remainder for the “various law changes” that include shifting authorities from elected offices. The latter was the sticking point.
Congress approved in December about $9 billion of a $110 billion package to the state. This does not include FEMA money, projected in the billions of dollars. The total is expected to help block development programs; farmers; infrastructure to include roads, highways and bridges; and drinking water infrastructure.
The value of FEMA’s assistance package to North Carolinians recovering from Hurricane Helene has eclipsed $1 billion.
