(by Allan Wooten and The Center Square) – In some hamlets of the mountains, the impact of Hurricane Helene isn’t easily seen anymore. Elsewhere, the need is only in the second of as much as five years of recovery.

In the state budget passed by lawmakers and sent to the governor just before the Fourth of July, plans to spend $700 million include $450 million to meet state and local requirements for federal disaster recovery programs. This includes FEMA Public Assistance and Hazard Mitigation grants.

The General Assembly’s appropriation, if the budget is signed into law, will grow to more than $2.8 billion through five previous packages and the fiscal year 2027 spending plan.

Rep. Karl Gillespie, the vice chairman of Appropriations and a Republican from Macon County, said in a statement, “Western North Carolina has come a long way since Helene, but our work is far from done. Our mountain communities have shown incredible resilience, but as families rebuild their homes and businesses get back on their feet, they need a partner that has their backs.

“That’s why this budget invests more than $700 million to continue western North Carolina’s recovery. We made a promise to stand with these communities for the long haul, and we’re keeping that promise.”

The storm made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane in Dekle Beach, Fla., on Sept. 26, 2024. It dissipated over the mountains of the state and Tennessee, dropping more than 30 inches in some places and over 24 consistently across more.

North Carolina local communities count five people still missing and 107 dead; research by The Center Square indicates 236 were killed across seven states in the South. Damage in North Carolina was initially estimated at $60 billion, and in some cases that has grown to $80 billion.

It was arguably the state’s worst natural disaster. Congressional appropriation in December 2024 included about $9 billion. Five packages from lawmakers in Raleigh added another $2.1 billion.

Appropriations Vice Chairman Dudley Greene, R-Avery, said in a statement, “I experienced Helene firsthand, and I’ve seen how long the recovery process really takes. Nearly two years on, people across the western part of our state are still dealing with the storm’s aftermath and are trying to get their lives back to normal. It’s going to take more work to finish the job, but the budget helps clear the path forward by supporting the recovery efforts still ahead.”

Also in the $700 million appropriation is $65 million for FEMA-eligible local government capital projects, including up to $30 million for volunteer fire departments; $43 million for nonprofit housing and private road and bridge recovery projects; $40 million in temporary relocation assistance to help displaced families return home; and $22 million for state-supported private road and bridge repairs.

The spending plans supports infrastructure reconstruction, local governments, wildfire preparedness, dam repairs, and regional tourism.