Hurricane recovery update for NC: 273 roads closed, 174 in emergency shelters

Hurricane Helene roared through western North Carolina more than 40 days ago.

The state is still feeling the pain inflicted by the storm.

Don Campbell, the chief of staff of North Carolina Emergency Management, said 273 roads remain closed in western North Carolina, 174 people are housed in emergency shelters and the state has received nearly 300 requests for public assistance.

He added that there are 18 water systems that are on boiled water advisories and five wastewater plants that are closed with significant damage.

"It is taking all of us to focus on making sure that we bring in the right local, state, federal and contractor resources to get water and wastewater back up and operational because we know that's also another key sign for us when it goes to the recovery piece," Campbell said.

Campbell was part of a group of federal, state and local leaders who assembled Friday in Morganton to discuss the recovery needs of western North Carolina following the devastation of Hurricane Helene.

The North Carolina League of Municipalities and the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners brought mayors, managers and county managers as well as state and FEMA administrators together at the Foothills Higher Education Center in Morganton to talk about what is going on and what's still needed to help with recovery from the storm.

On a positive note, Campbell said most of the public school students impacted by the hurricane are either back in school or have a date of when they will be returning to school, Campbell said.

"And that has been a huge lift for all of our team members to make sure that those communities are supported," Campbell said. "Because as a parent myself, recovery doesn't start until my kids are back at school, and we recognize that."

The area has less than 1,000 power outages, the result, Campbell said, of a Herculean effort from power crews across the nation and Canada.

Speaker: Expect multiyear rebuilding

Campbell said more than $202 million has been earmarked for recovery. But that's a drop in the bucket, he said. It will take a lot of money and time for the western part of the state to recover.

North Carolina Speaker of the House and Congressman-elect Tim Moore said the N.C. General Assembly will meet on Nov. 19 about the damage brought on by the hurricane. He said lawmakers are still gathering information at this point. He said the N.C. General Assembly has met twice and passed aid packages that total about $900 million.

He encouraged leaders in the room to call their state legislators to let them know specifically what the needs are in addition to money, such as any regulatory matters.

"We know that this is not something we're going to snap our fingers and it's going to be fixed overnight," Moore said. "This is going to be a multiyear rebuilding. It is going to be a multibillion-dollar rebuilding, and I would expect to see that commitment from the state to do what it can. And since I'm going to be starting another job in January, I will certainly be doing my dogged best to make sure that at the federal level, that the resources are provided to western North Carolina."

Rainy day fund

The state currently has $3.8 billion in savings, said N.C. Rep. Hugh Blackwell, R-86.

Blackwell said he believes the legislature is prepared to financially help the state transportation department to repair those private roads and bridges impacted by Helene. "The state, fortunately, is in good position because of the substantial rainy day fund," Blackwell said.

He added, "I think everybody seems to be talking and engaged at this point. And I think the money will be there between the feds and the state."

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