At a recovery meeting in Asheville last week, western North Carolina leaders delivered a blunt warning: Hurricane Helene recovery efforts may last years longer than public attention and funding will.
During a meeting of the Governor’s Recovery Office for Western North Carolina (GROW NC), officials, nonprofit leaders, and long-term recovery coordinators described a region still uncovering storm damage months after the disaster while simultaneously preparing for a financial slowdown that could threaten rebuilding efforts.
Joining virtually from Raleigh, Gov. Josh Stein said he spent much of the previous week in western North Carolina meeting with emergency officials, homeowners and local leaders working through the long recovery from Hurricane Helene. Stein warned the state is also entering what could become an unusually severe wildfire season, saying forestry crews had already responded to roughly 4,200 fires by mid-May compared to a typical annual total of about 4,500…