FEMA Adds Another $33M for Helene Recovery in North Carolina

The Federal Emergency Management Agency announced another $33 million in Hurricane Helene recovery projects in North Carolina, bringing the agency’s total spending on public assistance grants since the storm to more than $1 billion.

The funding is on top of more than $2 billion FEMA has provided to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for statewide debris removal, the agency said in a bulletin this week. The agency noted it also has paid more than $542 million in grants to survivors to help families recover.

Helene made landfall in September 2024, bringing winds and heavy rainfall from Florida to North Carolina, with some of the worst flooding ever seen in western North Carolina. Insured losses have been calculated to be as much as $16 billion, according to industry estimates.

FEMA has been a significant source of recovery funding, especially in North Carolina. Many properties were not covered by the National Flood Insurance Program or by private flood insurance.

The agency’s assistance grants include:

• $10.7 million to Asheville, North Carolina, for repairs to the Bee Tree Dam, along with emergency protective measures taken by the city’s Water Resources Department, and other projects.
• $7.4 million to the North Carolina Department of Transportation for road repairs in Alleghany, Avery, Buncombe, Caldwell, and McDowell counties.
• $3.4 million to Avery County for repairs to the senior center and administrative building.
• $1.6 million to the town of Beech Mountain for emergency protective measures taken following Helene, including temporary power to the emergency operations and distribution centers.
• $1.2 million to the town of Spruce Pine for repairs to their water and wastewater distribution systems.
• $1 million to North Carolina Emergency Management for additional reimbursements for emergency protective measures, including activation for the state’s emergency response center critical life-saving public information.

FEMA said it is reimbursing Helene costs at 90%, an enhanced level of support reserved for the most significant disasters.

Photo: Debris left by Helene’s flooding in Asheville. (Laurie Dana/AdobeStock)

Topics North Carolina FEMA