(The Center Square) – Hurricane Helene relief, a fifth package from the General Assembly of North Carolina, is on the way adding another $700 million in appropriations.
Four members of each chamber got the differences resolved and the bill in front of lawmakers before they scrambled out of town Thursday for a lengthy July 4th break. Their responsibility for a two-year spending plan to start the fiscal year July 1 will be done after they return, and efforts to pass “mini budgets” of sort didn’t produce fruit.
In passing Disaster Recovery Act of 2025 – Part II, the last session of the Legislature and this one have given more than $2.1 billion in relief. The storm killed 107 in North Carolina, 236 in the South, and caused an estimated $60 billion in damage in the state.
Congress approved in December about $9 billion of a $110 billion package to the state. This does not include FEMA money. The value of FEMA’s assistance package to North Carolinians recovering from Helene has eclipsed $1 billion.
The state of emergency for the storm is extended to Oct. 1 in the bill that will go to first-term Democratic Gov. Josh Stein for signature. He’s expected to sign immediately, upon which all aspects take effect.
The proposal puts $700 million into the Hurricane Helene Relief Fund and then has appropriation for $500 million. The bill also reallocates nearly $300 million from the Department of Transportation budget to recovery needs.
Small business grants – the House wanted $60 million, the Senate had none – were not included.
The package will have $75 million for construction and reimbursement of privately owned roads and bridges; $70 million for local government capital repairs; and $64.3 million for repair and construction of damaged schools. The Senate originally sought $8 million for repair of public school buildings through the Department of Public Instruction.
There is $51.5 million for local government cash-flow loan program, with no interest; $25 million to help farmers with infrastructure losses; $25 million to upgrade and enhance regional airports to support disaster responses; $18 million for fire stations and rescue squads in western North Carolina; and $15 million for a Selectsite fund to help economic development. The cash-flow program had a $100 million proposal from the Senate earlier.
This weekend begins the 40th 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.
