FEMA has provided more than $190M in aid for North Carolina after Hurricane Helene
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has provided more than $190 million in aid to North Carolina, as the battleground state continues to recover from devastation left by Hurricane Helene.
FEMA has handed out more than $194 million to individuals and households in the Tar Heel State as of Wednesday, according to data released by the agency. Some $46 million was approved for housing assistance, while the additional $148 million was to be used for additional recovery assistance.
The government agency also approved more than $189 million for debris removal and reimbursement of emergency protective measures within the state, FEMA said Tuesday. Additionally, residents from more than 6,300 households were registered into government-funded hotels, and 21 disaster recovery centers were opened in the state.
As of Wednesday, 101 Helene-related deaths have been verified in the state, according to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. The highest death toll was in Buncombe County with 43.
Helene, which also hit other states on the East Coast, caused severe flooding and mudslides, leading to deaths, displacement and other damages across the state. The storm wrecked roads and buildings, and in the storm's immediate aftermath, hundreds of thousands of households were without power.
The Biden administration approved more than $1.2 billion in direct assistance to survivors of Helene — and Hurricane Milton, the other major storm that devastated the southeastern U.S.
More than $1.1 billion was approved for debris removal and emergency protective measures nationally, according to FEMA.