Hurricane Helene Base Camps Cost Over Half a Million Dollars Per Day Across Western North Carolina

The North Carolina Office of the State Auditor (OSA) has released a Rapid Response Special Report detailing the costs and operations of 55 base camps established in western North Carolina following Hurricane Helene. North Carolina Emergency Management (NCEM) partnered with SLSCO LTD. (SLS), a Texas-based disaster-response contractor, to operate the base camps, which provided essential support for relief operations, including shelter, food, and showers.

The 55 base camps include both locations supporting disaster-relief staff, and locations that supported life-sustaining operations for the public, first responders, distribution sites, hygiene services, and election facilities.

Cost Breakdown

• NCEM's expenses for the base camps reached $111,067,464.25, averaging $516,592.85 per day over seven months.
• Major expenses included base camp operations, shower services, meals, labor, beds, laundry, medical support, restrooms, and mobilization/demobilization. The largest single location was in Swannanoa with $27 million in expenses.
• A single bed cost approximately $800, and individual meals averaged $41.67.
• General staff was billed at $85 per hour, while site coordinators cost $12,100 per week. A POD manager was billed at $145.50 per hour. SLS relied extensively on general workers and POD managers to support operations.

Emergency procurement rules allowed NCEM to suspend competitive bidding, but the agency maintained it used competitive practices whenever possible. The rates charged by SLS for its disaster response services were set by pre-existing contracts executed between SLS and NCEM in 2023. Service costs were based on the anticipated number of people at each location rather than actual usage.

"These base camps were an essential service in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Helene," said State Auditor Dave Boliek. "Now that we are in the long-term rebuilding phase of recovery, and knowing that future emergencies will strike, it is essential that we, as a state, have discussions on associated costs. $111 million is no small total, and the absence of key metrics raises a clear need to assess how these camps are utilized and consider the full return on the expense."

OSA recommends NCEM systematically track usage rates and per-use costs for showers, restrooms, laundry, meals, and other disaster-related support services. Improved tracking could assist the State in negotiating better costs in future contracts and ensure efficient allocation of resources for North Carolinians affected by disasters.