Topics Related to Hurricane Helene

Today Governor Josh Stein joined federal, state, and local officials in Morse Park to announce the reopening of beloved outdoor destination Lake Lure.

“This is an exciting day for western North Carolina,” said Governor Josh Stein. “Twenty months ago, Hurricane Helene devastated Lake Lure, but today, Lake Lure is back! Local, state, and federal government partnership with lake residents has powered its restoration. Lake Lure is a gem, and I’m excited that folks have the chance to rediscover this unforgettable place this summer.”

Today Governor Josh Stein joined the North Carolina Forest Service in Buncombe County to thank them for their work to keep people safe during wildfire season.

Today Governor Josh Stein and Assistant Secretary of Rural Economic Development Reginald Speight visited the town of Edenton to showcase the state’s partnership with local governments to expand economic opportunity in rural North Carolina.  

Today Governor Josh Stein announced the awarding of more than $4 million in grants that will fund 11 local parks and recreation projects in western North Carolina through the Helene Recovery Fund for the Parks and Recreation Trust Fund (PARTF). PARTF is administered by North Carolina State Parks, a division of the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR). 

Today the North Carolina Department of Commerce’s Division of Community Revitalization (DCR) announced a first-round

Today Governor Josh Stein called on the General Assembly to

Governor Josh Stein today announced nearly $8.5 million in new infrastructure grants to support small business recovery in western North Carolina. The funding will assist 13 local projects through the North Carolina Department of Commerce’s Small Business Infrastructure Grant Program (SmBIZ), continuing the state’s coordinated response to the impacts of Hurricane Helene.

Today Governor Josh Stein announced the recipients of more than $24 million in mitigation grants from the Disaster Relief and Mitigation Fund as well as $16 million in grant funding to volunteer organizations active in rebuilding homes during the Governor’s Advisory Committee on Western North Carolina Recovery meeting in Marion. Disaster relief and mitigation grants support flood mitigation, transportation infrastructure resilience against natural disasters, and engineering assistance for local governments to identify and design shovel-ready projects.

Today Governor Josh Stein released the following statement after attending the National Governors Association (NGA) meeting at the White House: 

Governor Josh Stein announced today that 145 projects in 66 counties across the state will receive more than $472 million in funding for drinking water and wastewater infrastructure projects. The awards will help cities, towns and counties strengthen infrastructure to better withstand future storms, improve existing drinking water and wastewater infrastructure, reduce contamination by forever chemicals, and identify and replace lead pipes.