FEMA adds five counties in Charlotte metro area eligible for Helene disaster assistance

– Twelve more counties are now eligible for federal aid in North Carolina – If you have homeowners, renters' or flood insurance, file a claim as soon as possible. – 193,000 people have registered for Individual Assistance

NORTH CAROLINA (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — More people in North Carolina are now eligible for federal aid stemming from damages from Hurricane Helene.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency announced this week that residents of 12 more counties can apply for disaster assistance, including several in the Charlotte metro:

The other newly covered counties are Cherokee, Forsyth, Graham, Lee, Nash, Surry and Yadkin, bringing the total to 39, in addition to the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. Mecklenburg County was already part of the list.

Union County saw thousands of power outages, and the Weddington Town Hall was damaged from the storm.

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FEMA may be able to help with serious needs, displacement, temporary lodging, basic home repair costs, personal property loss or other disaster-caused needs. If you have homeowners, renters' or flood insurance, you should file a claim as soon as possible.

FEMA cannot duplicate benefits for losses covered by insurance. If your policy does not cover all your disaster expenses, you may be eligible for federal assistance.

On Friday, Gov. Roy Cooper's office reported that more than $114 million in FEMA Individual Assistance funds have been paid so far to those impacted by the storm. Approximately 193,000 people have registered for Individual Assistance and more than 5,300 people have been helped through FEMA's Transitional Sheltering Assistance.

A week ago, the Individual Assistance funds provided was reported at $77 million.

Approximately 1,400 FEMA staff are in the state to help with the western North Carolina relief effort.

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Also providing aid in the mountains is more than 3,600 soldiers and airmen from the task force led by the North Carolina National Guard.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers also is helping to assess water and wastewater plants and dams. The agency is reporting boil water advisory for parts of Watauga, Avery and Ashe counties. The water supply for the Elk River Club is operating on backup power.

Residents can track the status of the public water supply in their area through this website.