Raleigh, NC — Today, the North Carolina House of Representatives approved a proposal to invest an additional $700 million to support Hurricane Helene recovery efforts across Western North Carolina.
This latest round of funding builds upon more than $1.4 billion already allocated for disaster relief, bringing the total to over $2.1 billion.
Key funding provisions include:
- $270M allocated from DOT budget specifically toward Helene WNC repairs
- $70M to continue pulling down critical federal disaster recovery funding
- $75M towards construction and reimbursement of privately owned roads and bridges
- $65M towards repair and reconstruction of damaged schools
- $50M in additional no-interest loans for impacted units of local government
- $70M in funding for local government capital repairs
- $25M to upgrade and enhance regional airports to support disaster responses
- $18M to invest in fire stations across WNC to prepare for a high-risk fire season
- $18M in additional funding to support our frontline volunteer organizations
- $16M in infrastructure investments to support redevelopment in Canton, NC
- $12.25M to repair damaged state park facilities and expedite reopening
- $10M to support impacted public and private colleges and universities in the region
- $8M to support apple growers in Western NC
Other investments include funds for landslide mapping, hazardous dam repair and removal, damaged rail lines, and additional tourism promotion.