North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein thanked federal officials Thursday for finally approving some Helene survivors’ applications for disaster relief.
It’s a good step, he said, but he’ll continue to ask Congress for an additional $13.5 billion to help western North Carolina recover from the devastating effects of the 2024 hurricane.
In the meantime, FEMA has taken more than a year to process some aid applications.
“The longer the delay in federal funding and getting programs up and running, the worse it is for western North Carolina recovery,” Stein said.
U.S. Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-NC11) announced Wednesday that FEMA will release $116 million in Helene relief. $72 million is from the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Public Assistance program, and the remaining $44.6 million comes through the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program.
Under the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, local governments use federal disaster money to buy land from homeowners whose property is in a flood zone.
“The way it works is, they buy the property, and then it becomes green space forever, so that there won’t be anybody who experiences pain if there is future flooding,” Stein said.
A Buncombe County woman was waiting for a buyout for her house in Swannanoa after it was destroyed in the storm, Stein said. She hasn’t been able to live there, sell it, or rebuild it, but she’s been stuck paying the mortgage on the property for more than a year while waiting for FEMA to release the money for the buyout, he explained.
“There were 560 applications of homeowners who similarly said, ‘Please, my house is in a flood zone. I am ready for you to acquire my property,’” Stein said.
The funding released Wednesday will allow some of those transactions to move forward, like elevating 14 homes in Beaufort County.
”Not all of it’s been solved yet,” Stein said. “I don’t want to overstate it, but what a constructive development yesterday was.”
In the 16 months since Hurricane Helene wreaked havoc on the western portion of the state, North Carolina has dedicated more than $3.1 billion towards recovery efforts, Stein wrote in his Wednesday letter to the congressional delegation. Previously, Congress had allocated $7 billion in federal funding towards recovery from the catastrophic storm.
But that’s still a small fraction of estimated $60 billion in damages Helene caused in North Carolina.
North Carolina first asked for the additional $13.5 billion in September 2025.
According to the governor’s office, the appropriation request includes:
$1.77 billion to repair roads $8.37 billion to support homeowners in rebuilding their homes $1.99 billion to help local governments stay afloat $540 million to restore water infrastructure systemsStein, a Democrat, said the request has the bipartisan support of the state’s congressional delegation.
“There was just unanimity that Washington needs to do more,” he said.
Stein asks lawmakers for drone legislation
Following Helene, the state used drones to survey damage, search for survivors, and direct rescue teams. Now, there are new concerns over the technology.
Stein serves as co-chair of the Council of Governments, a group that focuses on national security, cybersecurity, and natural disasters.
“It quickly became apparent to our group that the malicious use of drones can become a real problem around the country,” Stein said. “The potential that weaponized drones can be used by bad actors to attack large public gatherings for critical infrastructure — it isn’t fiction.”
In December, Congress passed the Safer Skies Act, allowing state law enforcement to address the threat of drones, as part of the National Defense Authorization Act. Trump signed it into law.
Previously, state and local officials could not shoot down suspicious drones unless they were suspected of delivering contraband to prisons. Otherwise, they could only go after the drone operator.
“Now, under the Safer Skies Act, if a state or local government goes through a federal training program, they can then have the authority to, when it’s appropriate, when there is a risk, to actually take action against a specific drone,” Stein said.
“The current law only holds accountable the person who is directing the drone, but that person may be miles away and you have no idea who they are,” Stein continued. “But the drone is right there and presents a real and clear present danger. And so that’s the change in federal law that we have been seeking.”
N.C. Public Safety Secretary Jeff Smythe said states will need to set their own rules for state and local officials. He said North Carolina’s approach will focus on protecting critical infrastructure, like power generation facilities, water systems, ports, transportation hubs and communication networks.
Smythe also wants to ensure that law enforcement and correctional officers have clear rules of engagement, and follow federal law while respecting privacy.
“This is not about expanding surveillance,” Smythe said. “It’s about preventing harm and keeping pace with modern risks.”
Stein said he’s working on a draft bill to set up a state framework, but did not share further details.
“We need to strengthen our law to make sure that it takes care of all of the major risks,” Stein said.
NC Newsline asked state legislative leaders for their position on drone regulation. They did not immediately respond.
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