Latest news with #LakeLure
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
NC Gov. Stein signs bill into law sending another $500 million to WNC for Helene relief
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 More: Gov. Stein vetoes bills seeking to expand state, local cooperation with ICE: What's next? Jacob Biba is the Helene recovery reporter at the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. Email him at jbiba@ This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: NC Gov. Josh Stein sends $500 million to WNC for Helene relief with bill
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
NC Senate, after monthlong pause, passes billions in Helene aid — without business grants
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers contractors sort debris pulled from the bottom of Lake Lure in Rutherford County, North Carolina on April 14, 2025. Vegetative and man-made debris was washed into Lake Lure after Hurricane Helene devastated the region. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers photo by Michael Davis) North Carolina senators approved a massive hurricane relief package Monday, thawing out a bill that had been frozen for a month and passing it with major changes. Senate Republicans' proposed aid for western North Carolina lays out vastly more money than the bill passed by the House in May — around $2.46 billion in total. And it makes changes to several major line-items in the House version's, which totaled $464 million. Among the most notable changes: the removal of a $60 million grant program for small businesses, a longtime request as many storefronts struggle to reopen due to flooding and lost tourism. In the new bill, $700 million in spending is sent to the state's Helene recovery fund. Of that money, $465 million is appropriated, leaving the rest for future aid. The remaining money includes federal funding and money to qualify municipalities for competitive grants, among other purposes, according to Fiscal Research Division staff at the General Assembly. Lawmakers have redirected more than half a billion dollars from local aid, road repairs and other state programs toward Helene relief. House lawmakers and advocates in the region have for weeks requested that the Senate take up the bill and pass it, as the mountains continue to recover from Helene. The aid package sat in committee for a month as leaders in the House and Senate negotiated the state budget; they have yet to come to an agreement. On Monday, they got their wish, as Senate Republicans fast-tracked it through committee and onto the floor. The aid package passed in a unanimous vote. But the removal of business grants, as well as an array of other differences, will spark frustration — and could lead to even further delay. 'This allows us — on transportation funds, on private roads and bridges — to address some of those issues,' Sen. Ralph Hise (R-Mitchell) said. Senate Democrats said they had reservations about the changes to the House's bill, which received unanimous support. And they were dubious that House Republicans would agree to the Senate's changes. 'I certainly don't think the House is going to concur with them, because they haven't been pre-negotiated with the House,' said Sen. Graig Meyer (D-Orange) in an interview. 'They've basically admitted that.' If the bill clears the Senate this week, it will return to the House, who must agree to the changes to send it to Gov. Josh Stein's desk. Both chambers will debate a flurry of legislation this week in what is widely viewed as a final push before they leave Raleigh for weeks. Hise, asked by reporters Monday about why the Senate had removed money for small business grants, cited the state's 'emoluments clause.' The North Carolina constitution declares that 'no person … is entitled to exclusive or separate emoluments or privileges from the community but in consideration of public services.' Hise argues that includes a grant program, in which the state would select specific businesses to receive money, falls under that umbrella. 'We have not found a way to successfully get around that concept,' Hise said. He said he planned to bring forward a constitutional amendment on the matter, which would require approval from the legislature and a majority of voters. It's unclear what that timeline would look like. Senate Democratic leader Sydney Batch (D-Wake) said in an interview that if Republicans 'were that concerned,' they should have discussed the issue with the House 'instead of just jettisoning the entire bill.' 'This is literally playing with our western North Carolinian neighbors' lives and livelihoods and welfare,' Batch said. 'Only to get political chips and negotiations while we go into a budget debate.' Past legal analyses of the state's emoluments clause have come to different conclusions than Hise. The North Carolina attorney general's office under Mike Easley, a Democrat, wrote in a 1999 opinion to legislative leaders that natural disaster grant programs for farmers, homeowners and small businesses would benefit 'the public good.' And a 2019 legal review from UNC professor John Orth found that 'emoluments … may include benefits or privileges granted in consideration of public services more generally.' One western Democrat, during floor debate Monday, pointed out that one private business in the region — the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad — was set to receive money in the same bill. 'That is something this body has refused to do since last October,' said Sen. Julie Mayfield (D-Buncombe).
The Guardian
18-06-2025
- Climate
- The Guardian
Trump cuts leave hurricane-hit North Carolina town's rebuilding plans adrift
Lake Lure, a popular retreat in the west of North Carolina, is closed as cleanup and recovery operations continue. Hurricane Helene caused an estimated $60bn in damage in western North Carolina and killed 250 people across seven states, making it the deadliest hurricane to hit the US mainland since Katrina in 2005 left nearly 1,400 people dead Photograph: Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters James Abel, owner of Dogwood RV Park, talks with resident Kim McLaren, who lost her Airstream trailer during Hurricane Helene, as Abel works to rebuild his business Photograph: Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters Amish volunteers working with Spokes of Hope, a faith-based disaster relief charity, share a whoopie pie during a lunch break Photograph: Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters Amish volunteers load their tools into a school bus at the end of the day Photograph: Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters Amish volunteers from Pennsylvania paint the interior of a cabin at Dogwood RV Park Photograph: Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters Amish volunteers from Pennsylvania paint the interior of a cabin at Dogwood RV Park Photograph: Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters Amish volunteers working with Spokes of Hope cheer as they lift a heavy bag of debris on to a trailer Photograph: Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters Homes and businesses destroyed by flooding from Hurricane Helene remain in disrepair along the altered course of the Broad River in Bat Cave, about five miles upriver from Lake Lure Photograph: Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters The Pine Gables cabins at Lake Lure are mostly vacant after 1m cubic yards of debris were deposited in the lake by Helene, closing the town's main attraction for the summer Photograph: Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters Photograph: Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters Replacing the century-old dam, which held during Hurricane Helene, is part of the resort town's bid for federal funding to pay for an ambitious rebuilding plan Photograph: Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters Because the dam held, Lake Lure and communities downstream escaped the catastrophe that befell the neighbouring town of Chimney Rock, where the main street was largely wiped out. 'This lake saved a lot of people, because the flood that came down through the county, this lake caught,' said Michael Hager, a lobbyist for Lake Lure and the former Republican majority leader in the North Carolina house of representatives Photograph: Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters Amish volunteers from Pennsylvania rebuild a business's roof in downtown Chimney Rock Photograph: Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters The dam is just one of several big-ticket items on Lake Lure's rebuilding list. The town wants to move a wastewater treatment plant out of a flood zone at a projected cost of $35m, and to replace its century-old sewage system at the bottom of the lake, which could cost $100m Photograph: Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters Robin and Jim Proctor, the owners of Pine Gables Cabins, sit outside Lured Market & Grill during its trivia night. Local businesses have struggled to stay afloat with the town's main attraction closed since Helene devastated the region Photograph: Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters Amish volunteers working with Spokes of Hope help rebuild a business in Chimney Rock that was damaged by Helene Photograph: Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters Amish volunteers walk down a temporary road in Chimney Rock. Donald Trump said last week that he plans to start phasing out Fema and distribute disaster relief from the White House. His administration has taken an axe to some of the agency's hazard mitigation programmes, despite research showing such investment can save money and lives Photograph: Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters
Reuters
17-06-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
A shrinking FEMA puts lake town's rebuilding plans in limbo
LAKE LURE, North Carolina, June 17 (Reuters) - When Hurricane Helene's flood waters slammed into Lake Lure's century-old dam last September, gouging a massive scar into one embankment and cascading five months' worth of rain down its sides, town commissioner Dave DiOrio worried it might fail. Emergency sirens blared. "DAM FAILURE IMMINENT!" the National Weather Service warned in a social media post, urging 3,000 residents living downstream to seek higher ground. "When it starts breaking out on the sides, I mean who knows," said DiOrio, a former Navy captain with an engineering background. In the end, the dam held. But the disaster galvanized the North Carolina resort town's efforts to seek federal funding for an ambitious rebuilding plan - including $200 million for the dam alone. The initial response from the Federal Emergency Management Agency seemed encouraging. Deanne Criswell, who then headed the agency under President Joe Biden, told Lake Lure leaders that FEMA wanted to invest in projects that would harden areas against future disasters. Now President Donald Trump's plans to shrink or even abolish FEMA, and push some of the costs of responding to disasters onto the states, have injected uncertainty into Lake Lure's recovery, town officials said. Since taking office, Trump has declined funding requests from six disaster-hit states for projects to guard against future storms, a category of aid known as hazard mitigation. All of the states are run by Republican governors. Lake Lure officials are centering their plan to rebuild in a more resilient way around a new dam on the 720-acre reservoir. The town, with a year-round population of just 1,400, can draw 10,000 visitors a day during the summer, when people come to relax on Lake Lure's beaches, water ski or hike local trails. While FEMA doesn't usually build new dams, DiOrio said the town's leaders were thinking big because of the proactive stance on hazard mitigation projects under Biden. He worries that FEMA under Trump is retreating from such investments. "I think what we're seeing is a de-scoping of FEMA," DiOrio said. "If it does, that leaves us in limbo land." Helene caused an estimated $60 billion in damage in western North Carolina and killed 250 people across seven states, making it the deadliest hurricane to hit the U.S. mainland since Katrina in 2005 left nearly 1,400 dead. As it does sometimes with major disasters, FEMA covered 100% of the costs for debris removal and emergency protective measures for six months after Helene. That dropped to 90% in late March, but is still above the usual 75%, a FEMA spokesperson said in response to questions. Those federal funds are paying for the excavators and dump trucks still working to extract debris from the lake. With the town's main attraction closed for the summer, hotel reservations are down sharply and traffic into local shops sparse. "Without Lake Lure -- it's not only our namesake, it's the central part of our community," said Jim Proctor, a town council member who owns eight lake-side cabins, only two of which are occupied. "Believe it or not, nobody wants to have a vacation rental next to a big construction zone." Because the dam held, Lake Lure and communities downstream escaped the catastrophe that befell the neighboring town of Chimney Rock, whose main street was largely wiped out. "This lake saved a lot of people, because the flood that came down through the county, this lake caught," said Michael Hager, a lobbyist for Lake Lure and former Republican majority leader in the North Carolina House of Representatives. Trump said last week he plans to start phasing out FEMA and distribute disaster relief from the White House. His administration has taken an axe to some of the agency's hazard mitigation programs, despite research showing such investment can save money and lives. A 2019 National Institute of Building Sciences study found that every $1 invested in mitigation saves up to $13 in avoided losses. A Chamber of Commerce study put the return-on-investment at 13 to 1. In April, FEMA said it was ending the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program, calling it "wasteful and ineffective" and more concerned with "political agendas" than helping Americans. The program had funded general mitigation projects, unrelated to specific disasters. The administration has yet to announce changes to the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, a separate funding channel routinely offered in addition to recovery aid after a disaster. North Carolina was approved for HMGP funding after Helene. But in recent weeks Trump has declined HMGP requests from Mississippi, Oklahoma, Iowa, Missouri, Virginia and Arkansas. The FEMA spokesperson said the Trump administration was focused on addressing "large unobligated balances" of HMGP funding and working with states to identify projects and draw down "balances in a way that makes the nation more resilient." DiOrio said the town was now less confident of FEMA funding for a new dam, a project that could take 10 years. He was reaching out to seek funds from other agencies, including the Army Corps of Engineers. And the dam is just one of several big-ticket items on Lake Lure's rebuilding list. The town wants to move a wastewater treatment plant out of a flood zone, at a projected cost of $35 million, and to replace its century-old sewage system at the bottom of the lake, which could cost $100 million. FEMA has not yet received engineering assessments to make a determination on aid, the FEMA spokesperson said. The state, meanwhile, faces a greater share of the recovery cost burden after FEMA last month denied its request to extend total cost reimbursement beyond an initial 180-day period. North Carolina's governor, Democrat Josh Stein, has warned the new arrangement could cost the state an additional $200 million, potentially requiring cuts to funds for roads and schools and less money for communities like Lake Lure. For Cara Brock, who operates the Lured Market & Grill across the street from the lake, the prospect of a diminished FEMA adds to the uncertain outlook. She said she is barely breaking even and considering a loan to carry her through until next summer when the town's main draw will be open again. "The burden of trying to help a community like this or all of Western North Carolina -- that can't fall on the state of North Carolina," Brock said. "I mean, there's got to be some federal help, right?"
Yahoo
07-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Western NC Pride events celebrate resilience post-Helene
LAKE LURE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — This Pride Month, western North Carolina communities are celebrating, while also working to rebuild from Hurricane Helene. The storm caused widespread and severe damage, left people without water and electricity for weeks and forced the closure of businesses. At Grey Hawk Bar & Gardens in Lake Lure, you'll find a quiet sense of calm hanging over the property. The beautiful flowers and carefully designed seating areas are quite the contrast with what things looked like in late September 2024. 'The whole property was sort of sheeted with water, some surface level flooding, a few trees down,' said co-owner George Carter. 'But really we were very, very lucky.' Others down the road weren't as lucky. 'Houses underwater, boat houses underwater, boats popping through the roofs of their boat houses, so it was it was shock,' said Carter. 'It really was shock.' Nearly nine months later, things are looking a lot better for Lake Lure and for Grey Hawk. After months of closure and slow business, the cocktails are flowing, and people are coming back to the restaurant just in time for the co-owners to get ready to host a Pride Festival coming up on June 21. They believe it'll be Rutherford County's first. 2025 Charlotte Pride festival and parade: Your guide to a colorful weekend 'I do think that there will be a slight difference this year of just folks feeling closer, feeling a sense of relief and ready to just kind of, you know, soak in the sun, unwind and be with each other,' said co-owner Adam Polaski. When Polaski isn't at the restaurant, he's doing advocacy work with the Campaign for Southern Equality in Asheville. 'Historically, LGBTQ folks have less access to resources across the board anyway at any time, especially during Helene,' said Sheri Keller, who works with the campaign. 'There was a lot of churches that had resources and folks that are not normally accepted at churches or might have some trauma around that were able to come here and feel like feel in a safe space.' The team started a weekly resource center where people could get the necessities, but also haircuts and massages to regain a sense of normalcy. 'As the immediate needs from the storm have kind of dissipated, there's still this need for community and that's why we have continued to do this center every month,' said Dorian Volpe, who works with the campaign. With Western North Carolina Pride events coming up throughout the month of June, these allies and members of the LGBTQ+ community are reflecting on the lessons the storm taught them. 'We connected to our neighbors differently,' said Volpe. 'We shared supplies, we shared food, we shared resources. And I'm really optimistic that some of that will carry over into the pride events in this season.' They're also looking back on what it's meant to them to welcome the community into a safe space. 'People think of Lake Lure as being pretty homogeneous and pretty like sort of similar type of person who lives here,' said Carter. 'But as we've sort of settled in here, we we've seen that there's all types of people here and we have really found joy in bringing them out.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
