Helene Archives - Page 3 of 9

Federal block grants of $1.65B awarded to North Carolina governments for Helene recovery

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina governments are receiving over $1.65 billion in federal block grant money to help address historic levels of damage caused by Hurricane Helene in western North Carolina. Officials say the money is from Community Development Block Grant funds contained in a bill approved by Congress last month. Most of the grant money will go to North Carolina state government, with the remainder to the city of Asheville. Gov. Josh Stein and the head of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development held a public event Tuesday in Asheville to discuss the funds.… Continue Reading

Here’s a look at the $100 billion in disaster relief in the government spending bill

WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress is allocating more than $100 billion in emergency aid to address extensive damage caused by hurricane and other disasters. The money is in a bill passed early Saturday by Congress after this week’s scramble to find consensus on a government spending bill. The money is being provided after back-to-back hurricanes slammed into the Southeast. But the funding will go to much more than just Helene and Milton recovery. There’s also disaster assistance for farmers, money for damaged roads and highways and money for block grants administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development.… Continue Reading

New damage delays I-40 reopening in North Carolina closed by Helene

WAYNESVILLE, N.C. (AP) — The reopening of a section of Interstate 40 in western North Carolina that collapsed during Hurricane Helene has been delayed after more asphalt from eastbound lanes fell this week. The primary road connection between North Carolina and eastern Tennessee was severed in late September during flooding in the Pigeon River gorge. The state Transportation Department says the hope initially was to reopen the westbound lanes to two-way traffic early next month. Now it’s unclear when that will happen as engineers must determine the area is safe enough for drivers in such a narrow area.… Continue Reading

Farmers are still reeling months after Hurricane Helene ravaged crops across the South

LYONS, Ga. (AP) — Farmers in Georgia are still reeling more than two months after Hurricane Helene blew away cotton, destroyed ripened squash and cucumbers and uprooted pecan trees and timber. Agribusinesses in other Southern states saw costly damage as well. The University of Georgia estimates the September storm inflicted $5.5 billion in direct losses and indirect costs in Georgia alone. In rural Toombs County, Chris Hopkins just finished harvesting his ravaged cotton crop and figures he lost half of it, costing him about $430,000. Poultry grower Jeffrey Pridgen in Georgia’s Coffee County had four of his 12 chicken houses destroyed and others badly damaged. Farmers say more government disaster assistance is needed.… Continue Reading

Farmers, business owners, homeowners face uncertainty after $100B in disaster relief flounders

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — American farmers and small business owners are among those who will suffer if Congress cannot agree on a new spending bill after President-elect Donald Trump abruptly rejected a bipartisan plan that included more than $100 billion in disaster aid. The money is urgently needed after Hurricanes Helene and Milton slammed the southeastern United States one after the other this fall. In North Carolina, small business owner Jessie Dean is still waiting for a U.S. Small Business Administration loan after her building was completely destroyed three months ago. She says she is determined to build back, but she speaks to friends every day who are weighing whether they can go on.… Continue Reading

Congress nears funding deal with more than $100 billion in disaster aid

WASHINGTON (AP) — Congressional leaders have unveiled legislation that will keep the federal government funded through March 14 and provide more than $100 billion in emergency aid to help states and local communities recover from Hurricanes Helene and Milton and other natural disasters. The stopgap measure will prevent a partial government shutdown set to begin after midnight Friday. It kicks final decisions on this budget year’s spending levels to a new Republican-led Congress and President-elect Donald Trump. Passage of the measure is one of the final must-pass bills that lawmakers will consider this week before adjourning for the holidays and making way for the next Congress.… Continue Reading

Holiday Gift Guide: Handcrafted items from North Carolina support hurricane recovery

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The town of Asheville, North Carolina, is known for its artists and restaurants. In September, it was devastated by flooding from Hurricane Helene. Even businesses not physically harmed suffered weeks without power and water. And Asheville was essentially closed to tourists during its busiest season. So local artists and small businesses are now hoping that visitors will return to speed their recovery. And they’re selling handcrafted holiday gifts online. The heavily damaged River Arts District, for instance, lets artists sell through its website. And the tourism authority Explore Asheville has set up a site called “Love Asheville from Afar.”… Continue Reading

North Carolina GOP lawmakers enact a law eroding the incoming Democratic governor’s powers

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina House Republicans have enacted legislation that erodes some powers of several statewide offices newly-elected Democrats are slated to hold next month. Lawmakers overrode Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto. One of the most significant changes shifts the power to appoint state elections board members from the governor to the state auditor. The state auditor will be a Republican next year. The law also diminishes some powers of the attorney general, lieutenant governor and schools superintendent. Opposition to the bill has drawn protests in the state House’s gallery.… Continue Reading

Vance tells North Carolina residents rebuilding after the hurricane that they haven’t been forgotten

FAIRVIEW, N.C. (AP) — Vice President-elect JD Vance is surveying hurricane damage in western North Carolina in one of his first public appearances since the November election. Vance and his wife, Usha, visited the Fairview Volunteer Fire Department, which was flooded with 4 to 6 inches of water in the storm. They heard that roughly a dozen people got walking pneumonia while responding to the hurricane’s destruction and that power outages prevented some first responders from talking with their families. Vance said, “At the height of it, I imagine y’all were working nonstop.” Vance has largely stayed out of the public eye since the election aside from shepherding Trump’s Cabinet nominees around Capitol Hill.… Continue Reading

North Carolina Republicans close in on enacting bill that weakens incoming Democratic governor

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina legislative Republicans are closing in on enacting a measure that would erode powers of the incoming governor and other statewide Democratic officials who got elected last month. The GOP-dominated state Senate voted successfully on Monday to override Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto of a bill. The bill would in part weaken Gov.-elect Josh Stein. It would transfer the governor’s authority to make State Board of Elections appointments to the next state auditor — a Republican. The bill now returns to the House, where another successful override vote next week would make it law. Litigation is possible, however.… Continue Reading