Governor's Office Provides Update on Hurricane Helene Recovery

At a November meeting of GROW NC — the Governor’s Office of Recovery and Resiliency for Western North Carolina, held on Nov. 14 in Spruce Pine, state officials detailed the mounting challenges local communities face as they work to rebuild after Hurricane Helene.

GROW NC was created by executive order by Gov. Josh Stein to coordinate long-term recovery, housing reconstruction, and federal funding pipelines across the mountain region. At the meeting, officials shared new data showing Rutherford County now has 235 active Renew NC cases. Renew NC is the state’s primary home repair and rebuilding program for storm-damaged single-family homes. That's an increase from 197 on Nov. 5, as WCAB News previously reported.

The update came as GROW NC Director Matt Calabria announced that 560 home buyout applications have been submitted to FEMA from across Western North Carolina. None have been approved, he told attendees, underscoring a growing backlog that is now shaping housing decisions in multiple counties.

Where recovery stands

Calabria said Friday’s briefing came at a critical time. Western North Carolina is navigating a recovery timeline complicated by the recent 43-day federal government shutdown — the longest in U.S. history — which slowed key programs and left federal agencies short-staffed.

During the shutdown, two federal programs essential to mountain communities — crisis counseling and temporary recovery-related jobs for displaced workers — were nearly halted. Both have since been extended, but the pause added hurdles to an already strained system.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) oversees a $1.4 billion rebuilding fund for homes destroyed by Helene, but the state still cannot access that money. Instead, North Carolina used its own funding stream to keep Renew NC moving, which Calabria said likely saved months in the rebuilding pipeline. Calabria noted USDA county offices have reopened, and HUD has returned to full operational capacity after weeks of limited staffing.

Counties warn of mounting reimbursement delays

Local leaders at the meeting described ongoing cash-flow issues caused by slow federal reimbursements. Kevin Leonard, head of the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners, said federal review rules — including Department of Homeland Security requirements that payments over $100,000 receive sign-off from Secretary Kristi Noem and review by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) — have created a “recovery gap.”

Madison County officials echoed the concern. Marshall Town Administrator Ryan Cody said it’s increasingly difficult to repeatedly justify reimbursement for completed projects such as sidewalk upgrades, a repaired park, and an improved water treatment plant.

Calabria assured attendees that the state continues pressing for streamlined reviews. At last month's meeting, he said they are still hoping for a federal reimbursement rate of 47%, but didn't provide an update at the November meeting.

No Rutherford County leaders spoke at the meeting, but Paula Roach, the county’s finance director, attended on Zoom. There are two members of the advisory committee representing Rutherford: Former Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton and State Senator Tim Moffitt. No Rutherford County residents serve on the newly named subcommittees. 

Senator Ralph Hise said Rutherford County was recently visited “by the bond agencies.” He said other counties have as well, but didn’t offer specifics at the public meeting held at Mayland Community College. 

Major deadlines approaching

Officials also highlighted several key grant deadlines arriving in the next two months, including applications for:

• Local government capital grants

• Recreation and greenway projects

• Broadband repair funding

• Volunteer-based rebuild programs

  
  

Renew NC’s single-family home repair and reconstruction program closes applications at the end of the year. Statewide, nearly 4,700 active cases remain in the system — with Rutherford County’s 235 among the largest county totals in the region.

Calabria said Friday that the state’s mission remains unchanged: “Western North Carolina can’t afford delays. Every day matters in long-term recovery.”

Officials said obligated federal funding is nearly $530M. The next meeting date has not been set for December, which will be virtual.