FEMA has approved an additional $137 million for recovery and mitigation projects in North Carolina, pushing federal support for Hurricane Helene above $7.5 billion as western North Carolina approaches the second anniversary of the storm.
The latest round covers 114 projects, including $102 million through FEMA’s Public Assistance program for debris removal, infrastructure repairs, and emergency protective measures, and more than $34 million for projects aimed at reducing damage from future disasters.
US Sen. Ted Budd, R-NC, said the latest approvals are part of an effort by the Trump administration to accelerate federal reimbursements to communities still rebuilding from Hurricane Helene.
“By empowering FEMA to reimburse state and local governments for public assistance projects quickly, President Trump and Secretary Mullin are delivering on their promise to rebuild Western North Carolina after Hurricane Helene,” Budd said. “I am grateful to Administrator Hamilton for his efforts to ensure this funding can restore our communities and tourism industry throughout Western North Carolina, and that individuals will soon be able to access additional funds under the Hazard Mitigation Grant program to help rebuild and relocate their damaged properties.”
The Public Assistance funding includes $23.4 million for the North Carolina Department of Transportation to repair roads, bridges, and buildings damaged by Helene, $16.8 million for the Hendersonville Affordable Housing Corporation to repair housing units at Lincoln Circle and Robinson Terrace, and $10 million for North Carolina Emergency Management for debris removal.
Other projects receiving funding include $3.9 million for Mountain Electric Cooperative, $3.3 million for Asheville Christian Academy, $3.2 million for Avery County, and $3.1 million to repair the Armstrong State Fish Hatchery.
The remaining funding will focus largely on reducing the risk from future flooding.
FEMA is providing more than $34 million to North Carolina through its Hazard Mitigation Grant Program to acquire nearly 80 flood-prone properties in Buncombe, Mecklenburg, Rutherford, Transylvania, Watauga, and Yancey counties, along with properties in the towns of Belhaven and Bolton.
Once purchased, the properties will be converted into permanent open space to reduce the risk of future disaster damage. FEMA says it has now provided funding for North Carolina to acquire more than 500 properties.
“This additional funding supports community efforts to restore critical infrastructure and invest in mitigation projects that will protect North Carolinians from future storms,” said FEMA Administrator Cameron Hamilton. “FEMA’s continued commitment, in partnership with Senator Budd, is to move recovery forward at the pace North Carolina needs.”
The announcement is the latest in a series of major FEMA approvals this summer.
In June, FEMA approved nearly $300 million for roughly 70 North Carolina recovery and mitigation projects, including $129 million for debris removal through North Carolina Emergency Management and $23 million for NCDOT. At the time, FEMA said Public Assistance funding for Helene recovery projects in the state had surpassed $2 billion.
Less than a month later, the agency approved an additional $197 million for more than 30 projects, including $162.1 million for North Carolina Emergency Management and $7.2 million for road and bridge repairs through NCDOT.
North Carolina has also continued putting state money toward the recovery.
The state budget approved by lawmakers this summer and signed by Gov. Josh Stein includes more than $700 million in nonrecurring funding for Helene recovery during the 2026-27 fiscal year.
The funding covers the state and local share required for federal disaster recovery programs, as well as local government capital needs, volunteer fire departments, housing recovery, private road and bridge repairs, temporary relocation assistance, and other rebuilding efforts in western North Carolina.
The latest FEMA funding comes as North Carolina continues to seek additional federal support for long-term recovery.
Stein asked Congress in June for more than $10 billion in additional Helene recovery funding for housing, infrastructure, water systems, and other unmet needs, but Congress has not set a timeline for acting on the request.
Budd has also pressed Congress for additional funding, saying in June that he would oppose a supplemental spending package that did not include money for western North Carolina’s recovery. Budd renewed that push before Senate appropriators on July 21.
“Nearly two years since Hurricane Helene ravaged our state, debris still clogs waterways,” Budd said in a statement addressed to the Office of Management and Budget. “Roads, bridges, and dams require repair or replacement. Homeowners are paying mortgages on properties that were wiped away. Quite simply, the need continues to outweigh what the state and local communities can bear.”
In April, state officials estimated Helene caused roughly $60 billion in damage. More than $7 billion in federal funding had been awarded at that point, although officials told lawmakers that much of the money remained tied up in federal approval processes or restricted to particular programs.
