One Year After Helene: Rebuilding Critical Infrastructure

As western North Carolina continues to rebuild, Governor Josh Stein is highlighting ongoing efforts to repair roads and critical infrastructure that Hurricane Helene destroyed or damaged.

"As we approach the one-year milestone of Hurricane Helene, North Carolina's whole-of-government approach has made encouraging progress to repair roads and other critical infrastructure," said Governor Josh Stein. "I am grateful to our state's public servants and partners for their work to strengthen and build resilient infrastructure that helps western North Carolinians travel freely throughout the region."

Recovery by the Numbers:

• 96% of water systems back online
• 97% state-maintained roads reopened
• 100% of impacted state parks partially or fully reopened

Small Business Infrastructure Grants

Small businesses in western North Carolina rely on local infrastructure - electricity, storm water systems, sidewalks, and high-speed broadband. Local governments in western North Carolina can apply on a first-come, first-served basis for the Small Business Infrastructure Grant Program to reinvigorate critical infrastructure that small businesses need to attract customers and thrive.

In July, the Governor visited the town of Clyde, an initial recipient of this grant program, meeting with small business owners and emphasizing their importance to the local economy.

Helene Local Government Capital Grants

Yesterday, Governor Stein and the Office of State Budget and Management launched the Helene Local Government Capital Grant program, which will repair, renovate, or replace damaged infrastructure that keeps North Carolinians safe.

The grant program is open to local governments and federally recognized tribes with capital improvement needs created by Hurricane Helene. Eligible projects must be in FEMA-designated areas for Hurricane Helene and must have been denied FEMA Public Assistance (PA) reimbursement. Grant award amounts will be based on statutory caps per recipient and county. For more information about the grant program and the application process, visit Helene Recovery Local Government Capital Grants.

I-40 Partial Reopening

On March 1, the North Carolina Department of Transportation reopened two lanes of Interstate 40. Governor Stein welcomed U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to western North Carolina to survey I-40 along the Pigeon River Gorge.

Clean Energy Microgrid Initiative

In August, the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, in collaboration a network of regional partners, announced a $5 million investment in permanent and mobile microgrids, which will provide accessible power when the broader grid is impacted to help improve future disaster response in western North Carolina.

Private Road and Bridge Program

Western North Carolina is home to thousands of privately owned roads and bridges that serve in many cases as the only access routes for emergency vehicles, mail delivery, and school buses and for people needing to get to school or work and to run the errands of daily life.

The scale of damage to private roads and bridges was tremendous. When North Carolina launched its Private Roads and Bridges Program, 6,543 sites were submitted using the state's interest form, all of which have been assessed by hundreds of team members spread across the counties affected by Hurricane Helene. 3,759 unique sites have been verified by the NC Division of Emergency Management.

More than $26 million has been approved by FEMA to repair and replace private roads and bridges, including through NC Emergency Management's Disaster Case Management system, whose caseworkers connected survivors with these and other kinds of assistance. In addition, under Governor Stein's leadership, $10 million has been made available to volunteer organizations to continue their bridge-building efforts. The State of North Carolina has begun repairing and replacing private roads and bridges and will be completing many more repairs in the coming months.

In July, the Governor stopped by the Thomas family's private bridge in Yancey County, which has been reconstructed with funds from the Private Roads and Bridges Program.

Governor Stein continues to encourage North Carolinians in Helene disaster-declared counties who already repaired their private bridge or road to apply for up to 50 percent reimbursement of documented private road and bridge costs.

Residents can access an online reimbursement application form on the North Carolina Emergency Management website by visiting ncdps.gov/Helene/PRB. The form includes detailed instructions on the documentation required to have previously funded private road and bridge repair costs approved for up to 50 percent reimbursement.

Debris Removal

A year after Hurricane Helene, state and federal partners have removed 15 million cubic yards of debris from the region's roads, waterways, and private properties. Last week, the Governor, First Lady, and members of the cabinet spent an afternoon cleaning up along the Sweeten Creek alongside the nonprofit Mountain True.

Resilient Water Infrastructure Projects

Last week, Governor Stein and the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality announced that five counties in western North Carolina will receive more than $86 million for drinking water and wastewater infrastructure projects as part of a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency program. This is the first phase of awards. There will be a total of four phases and $686 million in awards offered.

Parks and Trails Reopening

Last week, the National Park Service reopened a segment of the Blue Ridge Parkway from Asheville to Mount Mitchell State Park, enabling North Carolinians to visit the park. Mount Mitchell's reopening means that all 13 state parks in western North Carolina that were closed by Hurricane Helene are now at least partially open. Earlier this year, the Governor joined the reopening ceremony of Chimney Rock State Park in June, as well as the ribbon-cutting ceremony for Paddy Mountain Park in May.

In July, North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources awarded $11 million to communities and nonprofits in western North Carolina from the Great Trails State Program. These funds aid in trail development and the extension of existing trails.

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