EXCLUSIVE: Moore announces additional $11.2M in Helene funding

New FEMA awards follow last week's $13.8 million announcement, bringing additional federal commitments to Western North Carolina more than two years after Hurricane Helene.

U.S. Rep. Tim Moore, R-N.C., announced Wednesday an additional $11.2 million in Federal Emergency Management Agency funding for Hurricane Helene recovery, including repairs to Lake Lure's dam gates and a storm-damaged road bridge, restoration of a church in Cleveland County and nearly $9.8 million for North Carolina Emergency Management.

The latest announcement, obtained by WCAB News, comes just six days after Moore announced $13.85 million in separate FEMA awards for Lake Lure, Rutherfordton and Polk County.

Together, the two announcements represent approximately $25.1 million in federal funding commitments, although most of the newly announced money is designated for statewide emergency management expenses rather than municipal construction projects.

“Recovery from Hurricane Helene is about rebuilding while also making our communities safer for the future,” Moore said Wednesday.

“This $11.2 million investment will repair the road bridge and dam gates in Lake Lure, restore the Friendship Methodist Church in Fallston, and give North Carolina Emergency Management the resources it needs for damage assessments and protective measures. I’m grateful to the Administration and FEMA for keeping Western North Carolina’s recovery a top priority.”

Lake Lure receives another $1.3 million

According to Moore's office, the Town of Lake Lure is designated to receive $1,336,596.51 for two projects.

The first award, totaling $753,823.35, will support repair or replacement of a road bridge damaged during the September 2024 storm.

A second award of $582,773.16 will support restoration of the Lake Lure dam gates.

Both projects fall under Section 406 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, which authorizes federal assistance for permanent restoration of disaster-damaged public facilities.

As WCAB News previously reported, the town has been working on the Boys Camp Road bridge replacement, dam repairs, and separate plans for a new dam. Earlier this month, the town also approved a $3.5 million design agreement for the dam replacement project.

The newly announced road bridge award is in addition to last week's $2.26 million FEMA award for a pedestrian bridge connecting Lake Lure and Chimney Rock.

The pedestrian crossing remains a separate issue. Lake Lure officials previously said rebuilding the former Flowering Bridge would be cost-prohibitive under the town's existing infrastructure priorities, even as federal funding announcements have continued to fund and reference bridge restoration.

More than $10 million announced for Lake Lure in October

The two October announcements alone identify $10,056,049.69 in FEMA awards designated specifically for the Town of Lake Lure.

On Oct. 22, Moore announced $8,719,453.18 for Lake Lure projects, including nearly $4.93 million for public parks and recreational facilities, $2.26 million for the pedestrian bridge and $1.53 million for Buffalo Creek Park, Weed Patch Mountain Trails and the town's dredge spoils retention ponds.

Those announcements followed an additional $3.37 million designated for Lake Lure in August for sewer collection system repairs and dam restoration, bringing the three announcements' combined Lake Lure project amounts to approximately $13.42 million.

Nearly $9.8 million for North Carolina Emergency Management

The largest share of Wednesday's announcement is designated for North Carolina Emergency Management, the state agency responsible for coordinating disaster response and recovery.

Moore's office identified two awards:

• $7,822,559.22 for emergency protective measures undertaken as a result of Hurricane Helene.

• $1,939,165 for comprehensive disaster damage assessments.

  
  

Both awards fall under Section 403 of the Stafford Act, which authorizes federal assistance for emergency protective measures and related response activities.

Combined, the state emergency management awards total $9,761,724.22, accounting for approximately 87% of Wednesday's announcement.

Fallston church designated for repairs

The announcement also includes $111,276.54 for Friendship Methodist Church in Fallston, Cleveland County.

Moore's office said the money will support repairs to interior and exterior building components damaged during Helene.

The award is authorized under Section 406 of the Stafford Act.

Funding announced as local recovery continues

The latest awards arrive as the Lake Lure administration continues to oversee recovery projects involving bridges, sewer infrastructure, parks and the town's dam.

With millions of dollars in federal commitments now announced, outstanding questions include when reimbursements will reach local accounts, whether engineering and construction contracts have been finalized, and when residents can expect damaged infrastructure to be restored.

Wednesday's announcement identifies funding purposes but provides no project completion dates, which is left to town officials.

Moore represents North Carolina's 14th Congressional District, which includes Rutherford and Cleveland counties, and is seeking reelection against Democrat LaKesha Womack.

For Lake Lure and other Helene-affected communities, the next measure of progress will be how the announced federal funding translates into completed repairs, restored public facilities, and documented expenditures.

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Public domain photo via DVIDS

An 11-person Fatality Search and Recovery Team (FSRT), chaplain, and chaplain’s assistant from the Alabama National Guard help locals search for missing persons and items, Oct. 9, 2024, in the debris caused by Hurricane Helene near Chimney Rock and Lake Lure, N.C. The FSRT is a component of the CERFP, a Chemical, Biological, Nuclear, and Explosives (CBRN) Emergency Response Force Package. The CERFP is a modular task force prepared for quick deployment for disaster response including communication, medical, decontamination, search and extraction and casualty recovery elements.