NC towns face slow recovery after Helene's devastating impact

North Carolina's recovery from Helene faces challenges at every turn. Delays in federal funding have left towns like Canton struggling to repair public buildings and roads, and many local leaders grow frustrated waiting for checks. State efforts to offer 1,000 temporary housing trailers saw little uptake, with most disaster survivors instead relying on nonprofits for shelter.

Meanwhile, rebuilding key infrastructure like Interstate 40 requires complicated logistics and huge amounts of stone from nearby quarries. Lawmakers also wrestle with decisions on recovery contracts and funding allocation, as small businesses and farmers depend on disaster grants to stay afloat. The road to recovery is steady but slow, with each new story revealing more layers of need and effort.

Joseph Bizzell operates the crane on a barge after collecting leftover debris from Helene in the Catawba River on Wednesday, April 9, 2025. By Melissa Melvin-Rodriguez

NO. 1: ARMY CORPS PULLS TONS OF HELENE DEBRIS FROM CATAWBA RIVER WATERS NEAR CHARLOTTE

A billion-dollar federal project is clearing Helene flooding debris. One worksite is on the Catawba River, just across from Charlotte. | Published April 10, 2025 | Read Full Story by Gavin Off

A FEMA search and rescue team from Maryland search for human remains in debris from a structure in Swannanoa on Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024 after Tropical Storm Helene flooded the Swannanoa River. North Carolina officials have confirmed 76 deaths from Tropical Storm Helene. By Travis Long

NO. 2: NEW FEMA HEAD DENIES NC REQUEST TO EXTEND 100% REIMBURSEMENT FOR HELENE DAMAGE

“The need in western North Carolina remains immense — people need debris removed, homes rebuilt, and roads restored,” Gov. Josh Stein said. | Published April 12, 2025 | Read Full Story by Anna Roman

Helene floodwaters filled the Town of Canton’s firehouse for the second time in nearly four years. As they await federal funds, their fire department operates out of a double-wide trailer from the Army Corps of Engineers.

NO. 3: WHERE’S THE MONEY? NEARLY SEVEN MONTHS AFTER HELENE, NC TOWNS WAIT ON FEDERAL CHECKS

Several local governments in Helene-battered towns in Western North Carolina are waiting on reimbursements from FEMA for much needed repairs. | Published April 22, 2025 | Read Full Story by Briah Lumpkins

Co-directors of the nonprofit BeLoved Asheville, “Ponkho” Bermejo, left, and Amy Cantrell, help set up a tiny home for a resident in Leicester on Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024. From supplying meals to paying rent, Beloved Asheville has been helping to support Western North Carolina residents impacted by the remnants of Hurricane Helene. By Travis Long

NO. 4: NC’S HELENE PLAN MADE 1,000 TRAILERS AVAILABLE. WHY HAVE ONLY 6 BEEN FILLED?

There was a lack of interest, according to a limited explanation from state officials. But the News & Observer found the answer is more complex. | Published May 5, 2025 | Read Full Story by Luciana Perez Uribe Guinassi

Jen Dombrowski arrives in downtown Marshall to help a friend clean up her business on Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024 after the French Broad River caused catastrophic flooding. The remnants of Hurricane Helene caused widespread flooding, downed trees, and power outages in western North Carolina. By Travis Long

NO. 5: NC HOUSE PASSES HELENE FUNDING, INCLUDING GRANTS THAT SMALL BUSINESSES WANT

The NC House passed its Helene funding proposal on Thursday which includes $60 million in disaster grants, aid businesses have been seeking since Helene’s devastation. | Published May 21, 2025 | Read Full Story by Luciana Perez Uribe Guinassi

A rescue team paddles down the Swannanoa River on Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024. The remnants of Hurricane Helene caused widespread flooding, downed trees, and power outages in western North Carolina. By Travis Long

NO. 6: FIRM LOST ONE RECOVERY CONTRACT, THEN GOT ANOTHER. NC OFFICIALS DEFEND DECISION.

NC lawmakers also raised concerns over ties to the firm by a top adviser to Gov. Josh Stein. | Published May 22, 2025 | Read Full Story by Luciana Perez Uribe Guinassi

Interstate 40 in the Pigeon River Gorge near the Tennessee state line on May 20, 2025. Two-way traffic is confined to the westbound lanes, far left. Contractors for the N.C. Department of Transportation are building an earth and stone causeway along the river that they’ll use to rebuild the eastbound lanes, which were damaged or destroyed by the remnants of Hurricane Helene in September.

NO. 7: REBUILDING I-40 IN PIGEON RIVER GORGE WILL TAKE 3 YEARS AND LOTS OF ROCKS

The N.C. Department of Transportation has narrowed its search for a place to quarry stone needed to restore the eastbound lanes destroyed by the remnants of Hurricane Helene. | Published May 27, 2025 | Read Full Story by Richard Stradling

Susan Figetakis adjusts her protective mask as he works to clean out her home, flooded by the Green River during Hurricane Helene, on Monday, October 7, 2024 near Saluda, N.C. By Robert Willett

NO. 8: NC GOVERNOR BLASTS FEMA’S REFUSAL TO REIMBURSE THE STATE FOR HELENE DEBRIS REMOVAL

North Carolina taxpayers will be on the hook for “potentially hundreds of millions of dollars” to clean up Western NC, governor said. | Published May 24, 2025 | Read Full Story by Joe Marusak

The summary above was drafted with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in our News division. All stories listed were reported, written and edited by McClatchy journalists.