North Carolina House Speaker Tim Moore, R-Cleveland, has announced the creation of the House Select Committee on Helene Recovery, in which legislators will work to continue helping the people of Western North Carolina recover from Hurricane Helene.

The committee will be co-chaired by Reps. Dudley Greene, R-McDowell, and Majority Leader John Bell, R-Wayne, and will meet until the end of the year.

“The creation of this committee is a critical step toward helping western North Carolina recover and rebuild after the devastating impacts of Hurricane Helene,” said Moore. “By hearing from key stakeholders and resources, we can ensure that our future response is coordinated, effective, and focused on the needs of the affected communities.”

He continued, “I am grateful to my colleagues for their dedication to this effort, and I am confident that this committee will make a meaningful difference. Together, we will stand with Western North Carolina every step of the way, for as long as it takes.”

The committee is scheduled to convene next Wednesday at 10 am.

“I’m pleased to be appointed as co-chair with Rep. Dudley Greene of the newly formed House Select Committee on Helene Recovery,” Bell wrote on social media. “We look forward to getting to work to help ensure our friends in western North Carolina get the resources they need to recover and rebuild freom the devasting inmpacts of Hurricane Helene.”

Federal officials, including Sen. Thom Tillis, have called for Congress to take action to help North Carolina and other states impacted by the storm. During an interview, Tillis explained that estimates show North Carolina needs $50 billion to recover and said “we shouldn’t be playing games with people’s lives in western North Carolina….If you enter politics into the room, you’ll spend some quality time with me on the floor.”