State officials detail shortfalls, delays in Helene recovery
State officials overseeing western North Carolina’s disaster recovery efforts acknowledged ongoing funding gaps, federal reimbursement delays, and housing challenges during a Jan. 9 meeting of the Governor’s Recovery Office for Western North Carolina (GROW NC) at Isothermal Community College in Spindale.
Each month, the advisory committee meets at a different community college or virtually. The meeting offered a detailed status update on recovery from Hurricane Helene, more than 15 months after the storm, and highlighted persistent issues for local governments and residents.
“This is a multi-year effort,” Governor Josh Stein said.
Officials reported that roughly 15.5 million cubic yards of storm debris have been removed across affected counties, describing cleanup as one of the “most advanced components” of recovery.
“We’re getting close to finishing the debris mission, though final numbers are still being updated,” said Matt Calabria, director of GROW NC.
Damage to private roads and bridges remains one of the most significant challenges. The General Assembly appropriated $25 million for a reimbursement program that allows property owners to recover up to 50% of repair costs for eligible sites. Applications are open for six months and must be submitted by the end of February.
The state has received nearly 7,000 applications. “If we were to fund all eligible claims, the total would far exceed the available appropriations,” Calabria said. Projects serving multiple households or providing emergency access are prioritized under state law; not all applicants will receive assistance.
Several speakers highlighted persistent delays in FEMA reimbursements as a major source of financial strain for counties and municipalities. To address cash-flow issues, the state created a loan program allowing local governments to borrow against anticipated FEMA payments. Officials confirmed that all $150 million allocated for the program has already been awarded.
The governor compared North Carolina’s federal disaster recovery funding with past large-scale storms. States affected by Hurricanes Katrina, Sandy, and Maria typically received 40% to 50% of total federal disaster funding within the first year. “In contrast, North Carolina has received less than 12% of expected federal recovery funds about 16 months after Hurricane Helene,” Stein said.
Officials said they are actively advocating for additional federal appropriations and described congressional action as essential to the state’s long-term recovery.
FEMA temporary housing assistance is limited to 18 months after a disaster. As of Jan. 9, less than 60 households were participating in FEMA’s Direct Housing Program, while slightly more than 100 households received rental assistance. State leaders acknowledged a shortage of transitional housing for residents whose homes are undergoing repairs.
Officials also updated the committee on Renew NC, a housing repair and reconstruction program funded with federal disaster recovery dollars. The application deadline was extended through January following door-to-door outreach, resulting in 7,373 completed applications. The program follows the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) guidelines.
Heavy rainfall from Helene caused more landslides in western North Carolina than in the previous two decades combined. David Korte, manager of the state’s landslide hazard mapping program, said that the storm had also changed the program’s approach.
“We moved from hard landslide science to a focus on resiliency,” Korte said. “Hard landslide is what we used to do — physics, material properties, engineering. Now we’re trying to help communities and emergency managers be more resilient.”
Helene triggered over 2,000 mapped landslides, compared with 358 across the state from 1990 through 2023. Landslides killed 31 people out of the 108 who died due to the storm, according to available state data. About 75% of the slides affected a road, structure, or river. Most occurred in areas with at least 10 inches of rainfall; none were found where precipitation remained below five inches, Korte told the committee.
Scientists currently can use rainfall and soil moisture data to predict potential landslides within 24 hours, but precise, short-term forecasting remains limited. “We’re not talking half an hour ahead of time. These are fast-moving, unpredictable slides,” Korte said.
Current landslide maps highlight broad areas of potential risk, useful for long-term planning but less practical for emergency management. Korte said new maps will flag areas expected to receive at least five inches of rain over 24 hours. “We’ll identify ‘areas of concern’ using Weather Prediction Center forecasts and share that information with state and local emergency management,” he said.
The program also plans a network of monitoring stations to track precipitation and soil moisture. “Places with higher soil moisture are more likely to experience slides during heavy rain,” Korte said.
Budget writers cut funds for landslide mapping in 2011, with partial restoration in 2017. Last year, the General Assembly allocated $3 million for Helene-affected areas. The recovery committee recommended $6.1 million to expand mapping to 15 counties and update nine existing county maps, plus $600,000 for an early warning system.
The landslide hazard program currently has three staff members. Korte hopes to double the team to install and maintain monitoring stations and improve map accuracy. “Maintenance has been neglected because we’ve focused on mapping,” he said. “We don’t have enough people to do both well.”
Officials stressed the need for additional federal funding, continued housing support, and improved landslide hazard mapping to protect residents and critical infrastructure.
“Grow NC is always trying to be entrepreneurial, figuring out where they can fill gaps,” Stein said.
The committee is scheduled to meet again virtually on Feb. 9.
“State officials detail shortfalls, delays in Helene recovery ” was originally published on www.carolinajournal.com.
