FEMA Hurricane Helene Update North Carolina

North Carolina -- FEMA Office: North Carolina continues its strong recovery efforts following the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene. Residents, local officials, and businesses have come together to rebuild,

with significant support from federal and state agencies. Below is the latest update on recovery progress:

Key Recovery Highlights:

Individual Assistance: $404.5 million has been approved for 157,567 households. This funding includes rent assistance, basic home repairs, and other disaster-related needs.

Public Assistance: $411 million has been approved to support state and local governments, as well as nonprofit organizations, for infrastructure and community recovery projects.

Small Business Assistance: The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has disbursed $155.1 million in low-interest disaster loans to help homeowners, renters, and businesses recover.

Temporary Housing and Shelter:

13,304 households have stayed in FEMA-paid hotel rooms, with 484 households still utilizing this program as of March 17.

202 households are currently living in FEMA temporary housing units.

Rental Assistance: 3,914 households have received financial support for rental needs.

Infrastructure Repair: 6,534 families have received a total of $19.4 million to repair or replace private access roads and bridges damaged by the storm.

Debris Removal: More than 5.4 million cubic yards of debris have been cleared from public rights-of-way, with 4 million cubic yards handled by state contractors and 1.4 million by federal contractors.

Disaster Unemployment Assistance: $52.8 million has been provided to applicants who lost jobs or income due to Hurricane Helene.

Flood Insurance Claims: The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) has paid out $166.6 million in claims to policyholders impacted by flooding.

Ongoing Support and Resources:

Residents are encouraged to continue applying for available assistance if they have not done so already. The deadline to apply for FEMA disaster assistance is April 15, 2025. You can apply and check the status of your assistance through FEMA’s official website.

Sources:

FEMA Hurricane Helene Updates

North Carolina Office of State Budget and Management

U.S. Small Business Administration

Mitchell County Helene Response Resources