As western North Carolina transitions from immediate disaster response to long-term rebuilding after Hurricane Helene, state officials and regional planners say recovery efforts are increasingly being shaped by data, local coordination, and partnerships that extend beyond government.
At a recent meeting of the GROW NC Resilience Subcommittee, leaders described a strategy focused on better aligning risk, investment, and decision-making — with an emphasis on using detailed data to guide both public spending and private action.
Two themes stood out 19 months after the storm: The growing reliance on data-driven tools to inform investment decisions and the role of local and private partners in carrying out resilience work on the ground.
At the center of the discussion was a regional modeling platform that allows planners to assess risks from flooding, landslides, and wildfires, in some cases down to individual properties.
Officials said a software tool is helping communities identify where resources can be used most effectively, particularly as rebuilding costs continue to mount.
Mary Roderick, co-chair of the subcommittee and planning director for the Land of Sky Regional Council, said the effort reflects years of collaboration across agencies and sectors.
“We collaborated with the EPA, and this collaboration back in 2020 exactly led to the meeting that we’re having now because of the work that we had done with them way back in 2020,” Roderick said. “We formed an advisory board in 2021. We formed a user group in 2022 for AccelAdapt, and we’ve been in what I’ve called phase four for several years.”
Roderick said the work has been supported by multiple funding streams, including federal Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) funding and state support, though progress has not always been linear.
BRIC is a hazard mitigation assistance grant program that makes federal funds available to states, US territories, federally recognized tribal nations, and local governments for hazard mitigation activities.
“That funding took a while to come into play, then was paused and is now reactivated, so we’re just picking back up on that work,” she said.
She added that the project has evolved into a public-private partnership, with early work led by the University of North Carolina Asheville’s National Environmental Modeling and Assessment Center before transitioning to a private firm that continues to support the effort.
Officials said that kind of collaboration is key to scaling resilience efforts without relying solely on government resources.
Rather than applying one-size-fits-all policies, the modeling allows local governments, property owners, and businesses to better understand risk and make more informed decisions. In some cases, that information is prompting a reevaluation of development patterns in flood-prone areas after modeled risks closely matched storm damage.
Speakers suggested that clearer risk data could also influence private investment decisions, from where developers build to how insurers assess coverage.
At the same time, much of the recovery work is being carried out by a network of nonprofits, conservation groups, and contractors working alongside local governments.
Wildfire mitigation has become a growing priority, particularly as storm debris has increased fuel loads across the region. Community Wildfire Protection Plans are being updated across multiple counties, identifying high-risk areas and outlining mitigation strategies based on both data and local input.
Local fire chiefs are playing a central role in that process, identifying areas of concern that may not be fully captured by modeling alone.
Participants said that combination of technical analysis and on-the-ground expertise is helping ensure that mitigation efforts are both targeted and practical.
Environmental restoration is also a major component of the recovery strategy. Projects underway include stream bank stabilization, sediment removal, and reforestation — efforts aimed at reducing flood risk while improving long-term ecosystem health.
In many cases, those projects serve dual purposes, protecting property and infrastructure while also supporting natural systems that can help buffer future disasters.
A major federal-state partnership is expected to support that work over the next decade. A $290 million agreement between the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission and the US Forest Service will fund efforts to repair infrastructure, reduce wildfire risk, and restore habitats across national forests in the region.
Even with that level of investment, officials said recovery will depend on continued coordination among public agencies, private partners, and local communities.
Rather than attempting to eliminate risk entirely, the focus is shifting toward better understanding it — and using that information to guide decisions about where and how to rebuild.
For western North Carolina, participants said, the challenge now is turning that approach into sustained action.
The work, they noted, will take years. But the shift toward data-driven planning and broader collaboration may ultimately leave the region better prepared for whatever comes next. The next subcommittee meeting is scheduled for May 21.
