Helping western communities bounce back from Hurricane Helene’s devastation remains a top priority for North Carolina lawmakers as they begin the 2025 legislative long session. This week, two legislative committees met separately to receive updates on recovery efforts.

The House Select Committee on Helene Recovery began Wednesday’s meeting with a presentation from the Governor’s Recovery Office for Western North Carolina (GROW NC). Officials provided a brief overview of the hurricane’s damage, GROW NC’s role in overseeing recovery, and funding requests made to the federal government.

Following the presentation, representatives raised concerns about delays in federal funds. Officials have estimated that Helene caused approximately $58 billion in damage. Of the $25.7 billion in federal assistance requested, North Carolina is projected to receive $15.7 billion – prompting concerns from multiple representatives about the funding gap and its impact on recovery timelines. Committee members also received an update on FEMA temporary housing, along with an overview of the American Relief Act and how it has supported NC recovery efforts.
Early Thursday morning, the Joint Legislative Governmental Operations Commission’s Subcommittee on Hurricane Response and Recovery briefly discussed Helene’s ongoing recovery needs, as well as unresolved issues from previous storms. The North Carolina Office of Recovery & Resiliency (NCORR) provided an update on the homeowner recovery program, which led to lengthy questioning from legislators about mismanagement of funds during past natural disasters and a timeline for completing rebuilding efforts.

Additional updates were provided by GROW NC and the Division of Community Revitalization (DCR). While GROW NC’s presentation largely echoed the previous day’s discussion, DCR provided an overview of lessons learned from NCORR and the Pandemic Recovery Office (PRO); the Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Action Plan for Helene; and how DCR will share information on progress.