Hurricane Helene devastated western North Carolina, taking 108 lives and causing $60 billion in damage. Governor Stein has made Helene recovery a top priority, creating the Governor’s Recovery Office for Western North Carolina (GROW NC) on his first full day in office. Governor Stein is collaborating with local, state, federal, and private partners to support resilient recovery by strengthening infrastructure, restoring housing, and supporting small businesses.

In 2025, the Stein administration:

Strengthened Infrastructure

  • Restored 99% of drinking water systems, ensuring access for hundreds of thousands of residents
  • Repaired, rebuilt, or reopened more than 1,500 roads across western North Carolina, covering nearly 98% of impacted sites
  • Removed more than 15 million cubic yards of debris from rights-of-way, waterways, and private property
  • Awarded $350 million to repair and strengthen the resilience of impacted water systems, distributing federal EPA funds faster than any other Helene-affected state
  • Supported NCDIT’s creation of the Broadband Recovery Program that will provide grants to help internet service providers rebuild and repair broadband infrastructure destroyed by Hurricane Helene
    • Established NCDIT grants to be awarded through the Hurricane Helene Growing Rural Economies with Access to Technology (GREAT) Program in 2026. This program will deploy satellite technology to provide alternative connectivity and improve the resilience of communications infrastructure.

Restored Housing

  • Submitted a home-rebuilding plan to unlock federal dollars faster than any state after a major hurricane in more than a decade, and began construction using HUD dollars before any other Helene-impacted state
    • To date, Renew NC has received more than 6,800 applications, with projects in process for homeowners across the region; has completed nine homes; has started construction on nine other homes; and has moved more than 100 homes into the pre-construction phase
  • Deployed $34 million to volunteer organizations active with home repairs and rebuilds, including $3 million each to Baptists on Mission and Habitat for Humanity, resulting in more than 500 home repairs

Revitalized the Economy

  • Awarded grants totaling $55 million to nearly 2,200 small businesses, saving nearly 8,200 jobs
  • Awarded another $55 million to local governments repairing downtown infrastructure to support long-term small business recovery
  • Provided $50 million in loans to 760 small businesses through the Golden LEAF Foundation, which helped retain an estimated 6,613 jobs
  • Launched the “Rediscover the Unforgettable” initiative in partnership with Visit NC to bring tourism back to western North Carolina and boost economic vitality
  • Signed legislation allocating approximately $150 million to address local government budget shortfalls
  • Distributed nearly $38 million in federal disaster unemployment assistance, plus $57.5 million in state unemployment insurance
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