KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — Cherokee National Forest will be getting a portion of the $43 million that the U.S. Department of Transportation has sent to repair damages in national forests and a national park caused by Hurricane Helene.
According to the Federal Highway Administration, the $43 million in Emergency Relief funds are immediately available through the “quick release” process for use by part of the U.S. Forest Service and the National Park Service. The money is in addition to the $144 million sent to North Carolina, Tennessee, and South Carolina, to quickly repair and reopen hurricane-damaged infrastructure
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“The damage caused by Hurricane Helene’s heavy rains, strong winds, and flooding is so extensive that emergency vehicles and utility crews cannot make their way into the national forests and national parks to make essential repairs,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “The emergency funding we’re sending will help the U.S. Forest Service and National Park Service make repairs to vital transportation networks in four impacted states where roads are currently impassable and reopen these roadways as quickly as possible.”