North Carolina is getting another infusion of federal disaster money, with FEMA announcing more than $21 million in new grants for recovery and resilience projects tied to Tropical Storm Helene and other recent disasters. The funding splits between reimbursements for completed repair work and hazard mitigation grants meant to prevent future flood damage, touching communities from Asheville to the state’s smallest mountain counties.
According to ABC11 News, more than $16 million of the total flows through FEMA’s Public Assistance program, which reimburses state and local governments for debris removal, emergency protective measures, and damaged infrastructure repairs. The North Carolina Department of Transportation is receiving $5.4 million for bridge, road, guardrail, and riprap repairs connected to Helene, while North Carolina Emergency Management is getting $2.4 million for emergency protective measures, culvert repairs, and state management costs. That emergency management payout isn’t tied to a single storm — it covers projects linked to Helene, Tropical Depression Chantal, and Hurricane Isaias, the August 2020 storm that led to an October major federal disaster declaration covering 15 counties, according to FEMA.
Asheville Bridge and Haw River Sewers Among Local Fixes
The city of Asheville is set to receive $1.7 million for permanent repairs to the Hardesty Lane bridge, which was damaged during Helene, per the same ABC11 report. Up in Haw River, the town is getting $1.1 million to repair sewer systems damaged by Tropical Depression Chantal, while the Hendersonville Affordable Housing Corporation will receive $950,000 to cover management costs tied to its Helene-related Public Assistance grants.
FEMA’s Public Assistance grants typically reimburse at a federal cost-share of no less than 75 percent; in North Carolina, the state generally covers the nonfederal share on behalf of local governments and applicants. That cost-share structure means the $16 million in this latest batch covers a major share — but not the entirety — of these communities’ rebuilding costs.
Flood Buyouts Target Seven Homes in Yancey County
The other major piece of the award, more than $4 million, comes through FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, which funds flood-prone property purchases, drainage improvements, stronger building codes, and infrastructure protection, the ABC11 report notes. Yancey County is receiving more than $2 million to purchase and demolish seven flood-prone homes and cover related project management costs, while Henderson County is getting a similar amount to buy and demolish three properties. Catawba County will receive more than $115,000 for property acquisitions, elevations, mitigation reconstruction, and floodproofing…