North Carolina Legislature Finalizes $300M Hurricane Relief Spending

Nearly $300 million in additional state spending to address North Carolina’s recovery from Hurricane Florence received quick and unanimous approval from the state legislature and the governor.

The House voted Thursday to send the relief measure to Gov. Roy Cooper, who signed it into law on Monday. The Senate approved the bill Wednesday, also with no votes in opposition.

The package takes money lawmakers already set aside last month for hurricane recovery and distributes it. The bill gives $240 million to the Agriculture Department to run a program making payments to farmers with destroyed crops and livestock from Florence and Hurricane Michael. Another $10 million helps commercial fishermen.

There’s also $25 million for public school repairs and lunch program damages and $18.5 million for beach renourishment and other coastal projects.

Topics Catastrophe Natural Disasters Agribusiness Hurricane North Carolina