North Carolina senator says Helene recovery aid still not finalized

State Sen. Julie Mayfield said Helene aid has not been finalized in the state budget. Nearly two years after Hurricane Helene ripped through Asheville, Black Mountain and the rest of the county, the money needed to move projects from paper to construction is still tied to negotiations in Raleigh.

Buncombe County and Asheville, Biltmore Forest, Black Mountain, Montreat, Weaverville and Woodfin built a Helene Recovery Plan that lays out 114 projects to rebuild housing, repair roads and other infrastructure, restore natural resources, strengthen disaster preparedness and support long-term resilience. The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners adopted the plan on Nov. 18, 2025, after the county paused and refocused its 2030 Strategic Plan in the wake of the storm.

State officials have estimated that Helene caused nearly $60 billion in damage across North Carolina, and the Governor’s Recovery Office for Western North Carolina said state and federal recovery funding covered only about 12.8% of that impact as of Aug. 15, 2025. Roughly $10 billion in unmet needs remained as western North Carolina recovery entered its next phase.

The Governor’s Advisory Committee on Western North Carolina Recovery advises Gov. Josh Stein and GROW NC using formal and informal input from people affected by the storm, including residents facing housing shortages, small businesses still waiting to reopen and communities dealing with damaged roads and bridges. In June 2025, lawmakers approved a compromise Helene relief bill that sent about $700 million to the state’s Helene fund and about $270 million to storm-damaged transportation infrastructure, but it left out a Senate-backed small-business grant program. Senate leaders Phil Berger and Destin Hall said a final budget framework is still being worked out, and the delay has kept Buncombe County’s recovery projects waiting for appropriations that have yet to be locked in.