WNC Recovery

Hope4NC assists individuals in communities as they recover from the impacts of Hurricane Helene. If you are experiencing stress, emotional fatigue, a mental health crisis, or just need someone to talk to, you can call the Hope4NC Helpline at 1-855-587-3463.

Stay in the know with news you can use📰 Our newsletter shares helpful info for you and your family. 📬 Join our email list: bit.ly/3PgOJxJ

The Nonprofit Arts Recovery Grant Program will support long-term recovery and stabilization of nonprofit arts and cultural organizations across western NC with funding provided by the @NCCF and @DogwoodWNC. Apply by 11:59 PM on April 6. artsavl.org/recovery

More than 390 miles of the Blue Ridge Parkway are open and 6 of 8 campgrounds are open. Summer reopenings will include restoration of visitor access to Linville Falls trails from National Park Service lands. Find more updates in March news from GROW NC: bit.ly/4lzbxEQ

Nearly 3.5 million North Carolinians live in rural communities, the second-largest rural population in the country. More people live in North Carolina’s rural areas than live in at least 20 states. The promise of North Carolina isn’t real unless it reaches every corner of the state, so I want to hear from folks in our rural communities on what’s working and what needs attention. We kicked off this important conversation this week at McDowell Tech. In western NC, we can’t talk about the future of rural communities without discussing the impact of rebuilding after Hurricane Helene.

Looking for work in Western NC? You may qualify for a disaster recovery workforce program providing temporary #jobs & career training support through #NCWorks. Contact your local NCWorks Career Center for more information - NCWorks.gov.

On March 6, NC DEQ Secretary Reid Wilson and GROW NC Director Matt Calabria traveled to Lady Marian Dam in McDowell County to highlight recent awards of $7.3 million to address high-risk dams damaged by Hurricane Helene.

If you know me, you know I love North Carolina. We’re home to friendly and good people, incredible natural beauty, a growing economy, and the best basketball and BBQ in the country. Tourism is vital to our economy. Our economic success is possible only with our hotel managers, museum curators, and guides and outfitters from the mountains to the coast – the folks who work hard to make our state worth discovering and rediscovering.

Some welcome news for folks forced into temporary housing in western NC by Hurricane Helene: @fema has extended its direct housing and rental assistance programs for another six months. I look forward to continuing to work with local, state, and federal governments and nonprofit organizations to find permanent solutions so people can get back on their feet.

NCDOT and its contract partners have built one concrete plant in the Pigeon River Gorge — and a second plant will be coming online soon — to help accelerate reconstruction of I-40.

Streamflow Rehabilitation Assistance Program reminders: The deadline to submit Round 2 applications is March 13, 2026. The deadline to submit Round 3 applications is April 17, 2026. bit.ly/4luhV0b

#News: GE Aerospace plans to invest $160 million in North Carolina to develop manufacturing sites in Wilmington, West Jefferson, Durham, and Asheville. Read about GE Aerospace's previously announced expansion: commerce.nc.gov/news/press-rel… #manufacturing

#HeleneRecovery: Last month, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services announced it received $75.8 million in American Relief Act funding to support childcare facilities following Hurricane Helene and Tropical Storm Debby. Read more: commerce.nc.gov/news/press-rel…

Our crews and contractors remain hard at work repairing sites Hurricane Helene damaged across Western NC. We're grateful for the work they've done, and continue to do, to restore sites like this one on NC 105 in Watauga County.

📢North Carolina is investing $24 million in projects across the state that will improve flood mitigation, protect critical infrastructure, and reduce community risks from future disasters. We know we must be prepared for the next storm, and these grants will allow us to build a safer, stronger, and more resilient North Carolina.

UPDATE: Yesterday @FEMA announced more than $11 million for its Hazard Mitigation Grant Program. This is a step in the right direction for WNC homeowners who have been in limbo waiting to be bought out for months, but there are still hundreds of families waiting for answers on their damaged or destroyed properties in flood zones. I will keep working to accelerate progress so North Carolinians have the certainty they deserve.

FEMA needs to act with greater urgency approving and distributing relief funds to the people and communities of western NC as we continue to rebuild after Hurricane Helene. I look forward to working with Senator Mullin, the newly tapped Secretary of DHS, and his team at FEMA to deliver for western NC.

GOOD NEWS: Nearly $70 million in @fema funds will be coming to reimburse local governments in Avery, Buncombe, and Yancey counties. While we’ve got lots of work still to do, we are making progress in our Hurricane Helene recovery, and I look forward to continue working with federal partners to get western NC the resources needed for rebuilding.

The @NCAgriculture Division of Soil & Water Conservation is accepting applications for the Streamflow Rehabilitation Assistance Program (StRAP) in counties affected by Hurricane Helene. Learn more about the program and upcoming deadlines: bit.ly/4arLnQF

Another month in the greatest place on earth.

Today North Carolina received more than $90 million in FEMA reimbursements that will help replenish the depleted coffers of local governments in western North Carolina working to rebuild after Hurricane Helene. I’d like to thank our federal partners, particularly the North Carolina Congressional delegation, for their work to unstick this much-needed assistance. I continue to urge DHS both to act swiftly to ensure local governments receive quick reimbursements for storm-related expenses and to approve the buyouts of people’s property in the flood zones. The people of western North Carolina deserve our level best, and I remain committed to working alongside our federal and state partners to accelerate their recovery.