North Carolina Senate Unanimously Approves Fourth Hurricane Helene Relief Package

Bill includes more than $545 million for disaster recovery needs, bringing total state funding for Western NC to more than $1.4 billion

Provides funding to complete the work in Eastern NC following Gov. Cooper’s failure to get residents back to permanent housing

Raleigh, N.C. — The North Carolina Senate unanimously passed the fourth round of Hurricane Helene relief legislation, bringing the total amount of funding for relief and recovery efforts to more than $1.4 billion.

The bill includes more than $545 million for Hurricane Helene and other disaster recovery needs.

“The General Assembly acted quickly last year to get state funds to the most pressing needs following Hurricane Helene,” Sens. Kevin Corbin (R-Macon), Warren Daniel (R-Burke), Ralph Hise (R-Mitchell), and Tim Moffitt (R-Henderson) said jointly. “As we learn more about the on-the-ground needs as Western North Carolinians rebuild from the storm, we’ll continue to look at additional ways to support the region. We look forward to working with our counterparts in Washington D.C., to push for additional federal recovery funds.”

House Bill 47 includes:

• $140 million to the Department of Commerce, Division of Community Revitalization for the Home Reconstruction and Repair Program.
• Nearly $192.5 million for agriculture, including crop loss, debris removal, and other recovery needs. It also allows the Agriculture Commissioner the ability to use funds from the Tropical Storm Fred fund within the department which amounts to about $10.5 million for crop loss needs for disasters that happened in 2024, bringing the total funding in the bill for agriculture needs to more than $200 million.
• $100 million to the Department of Public Safety, Division of Emergency Management for the Private Road and Bridge Repair and Replacement Program.
• $55 million for the Small Business Infrastructure Grant Program to provide grants to local governments to expedite needed infrastructure repairs for small businesses.
• $20 million to the Office of State Budget Management to distribute to state agencies and local governments for debris removal unmet needs.
• $10 million to the Office of the State Fire Marshal to provide grants to the most affected counties to cover expenses incurred due to Hurricane Helene, to purchase equipment, or to make capital improvements to assist with readiness for future emergency response.
• $10 million to N.C. Emergency Management to provide grants to nonprofits for actual and ongoing repair and reconstruction projects.
• $3 million for targeted media campaigns to encourage tourism to counties in the affected area.
• $4.5 million for a new School Extension Learning Recovery Program to help address negative impacts due to lost instruction time in the affected area.

Beyond funding for Hurricane Helene relief, the bill includes $217 million to complete the rebuilding process in Eastern North Carolina following former Gov. Roy Cooper’s failure to get families back into permanent homes after Hurricanes Matthew and Florence. The bill includes strict reporting requirements to keep tabs on the progress and ensure homes are being completed.

House Bill 47 now returns to the House for a final vote.