NC Gov. Stein signs bill into law sending another $500 million to WNC for Helene relief

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2 days ago

State lawmakers in the North Carolina General Assembly passed another disaster relief bill June 26 to aid recovery in Western North Carolina in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Helene.
The September 2024 storm killed more than 100 people and caused an estimated $60 billion in damage. Since Helene hit, state lawmakers have approved nearly $2 billion in spending for the recovery effort.
Gov. Josh Stein signed the bill into law at a press event at Chimney Rock State Park in Lake Lure. The popular park reopened June 27, exactly nine months after Helene pummeled Western North Carolina.
There, Stein urged people to plan a trip to Western North Carolina, announcing a new tourism initiative with the hopes of attracting more visitors to a region dependent on tourism.
'Nine months ago, (Tropical Storm) Helene devastated western North Carolina's economy," Stein said in a June 27 statement. "Let's make sure our neighbors know we haven't forgotten them."
This latest bill moves $700 million to the state's Helene relief fund, of which $500 million will be used to fund road and bridge repairs, help farmers and local governments recoup losses in the wake of Helene, and help pay for other disaster-related needs.
A House version of the bill had previously asked for $60 million for small business grants, but the provision didn't make it into the bill's final version. In Asheville, several restaurants and other small businesses have closed after Helene severely disrupted the region's tourism industry.
The bill also provides funding to private colleges and universities, like Montreat College and Lees-McRae College, with each receiving $1.5 million. But lawmakers excluded Warren Wilson College, which suffered $12 million in Helene-related losses, according to the college.
'We look forward to having an opportunity to work with legislators to help them understand the extent and gravity of the damages to the College,' Warren Wilson College President Damián J. Fernández said in a June 27 statement.
'We sincerely request that they reconsider providing support to Warren Wilson when the legislative session reconvenes.'
Key funding measures include:
$75 million for private road and bridge repair
$25 million for farm infrastructure loss
$15 million for N.C. Forest Service wildfire preparation and equipment
$15 million for streamflow rehabilitation
$5 million to Visit NC for tourism marketing
$10 million to repair, modify or remove Helene-damaged dams
$3 million for landslide hazard mapping
$8 million for public school infrastructure and building repair
$70 million in matching funds for Federal Emergency Management Agency programs
$20 million for Helene flood mitigation grants
$18 million for nonprofits working on Helene recovery
$70 million for local government capital program grants
$18 million for volunteer fire departments and rescue squads
$2 million each to Western Carolina University and Appalachian State University
$2 million UNC Asheville and the North Carolina Arboretum
More: NC House lawmakers pass $464M in Helene aid, well short of governor's request
More: Stein signs disaster bill that will send more than $500 million to WNC for Helene recovery
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Jacob Biba is the Helene recovery reporter at the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. Email him at [e-mail].
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: NC Gov. Josh Stein sends $500 million to WNC for Helene relief with bill