Nearly half of the 10,129 households displaced by Hurricane Helene in North Carolina have been placed in temporary shelters like hotels, apartments, and mobile homes, according to FEMA. The rest have already found long-term housing. Although the temporary housing program was set to end, FEMA caseworkers will not force people out and will work urgently to secure permanent shelter.
FEMA has already spent $262 million on individual rental assistance and home repairs for Helene survivors in North Carolina, with an additional $274 million going towards infrastructure repairs and debris removal. More financial aid is expected, but the amount has not been determined yet.
Local officials are grateful for the assistance received so far, but recognize that much more aid will be necessary to fully restore affected areas like Asheville and Biltmore Village. North Carolina officials recently visited Washington to ask for $25 billion in funding to repair homes, roads, bridges, and other infrastructure in western North Carolina, citing the abnormal nature of Hurricane Helene which caused landslides, flooding, wind damage, and debris.
Private road and bridge repairs are particularly costly, with no specific federal program in place to address them. North Carolina officials are requesting exceptions and broad interpretations of rules to ensure that all necessary repairs can be made in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.
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