RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — On Monday the North Carolina Senate approved another $700 million in Hurricane Helene relief funds as the hard-hit parts of western North Carolina continue to recovery from the destructive storm.
House Bill 1012 passed unanimously in the chamber, according to the office of Senate Leader Phil Berger.
“Since Hurricane Helene hit, the General Assembly has been fully committed to supporting the recovery needs of western North Carolina,” said Senators Ralph Hise (R-Mitchell), Warren Daniel (R-Burke), Kevin Corbin (R-Macon) and Tim Moffitt (R-Henderson) in a joint statement. “This package is the latest installment of our commitment to helping our neighbors. There is still plenty of work to be done in the west, and we can look forward to working with our colleagues to ensure that our mountain communities can rebuild.”
The release from Berger’s office said HB1012 includes $480 million for “immediate needs,” which include:
- $75 million for the replacement and repair of private roads and bridges (with $25 million used to reimburse up to 50% of the costs for already-completed work)
- $70 million to continue to cover the FEMA state match
- $20 million for grants for flood mitigation projects and engineering assistance through the new Hurricane Helene Flood Mitigation Grant Program
- $15 million to the Office of the State Fire Marshal for grants to volunteer fire departments and rescue squads
- $10 million to repair, modify or remove dams damaged by Helene
- $8 million to the Department of Public Instruction for fixing public school buildings
It now heads back to the NC House. If approved there as currently written, it would bring the total amount of state funding for Helene recovery and relief to over $2.1 billion.