NC agencies identify immediate Helene needs as lawmakers return to Raleigh

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) – As lawmakers prepare to return to Raleigh to vote on legislation in response to Hurricane Helene, state agencies have identified hundreds of millions of dollars in immediate needs and expect more will be needed.

A document from the N.C. Office of State Budget and Management that lawmakers received outlines a variety of requests, some of which require funding while some require changes to laws and regulations to give state agencies greater flexibility to respond.

OSBM is asking for the creation of a $250 million “Hurricane Helene Fund.” That money is proposed to come from the State Emergency Responses Disaster Reserve Fund. North Carolina has billions of dollars in various reserve funds.

“The fund would allow OSBM and state agencies flexibility to swiftly respond to Hurricane Helene related needs. Additionally, this action would increase transparency on Helene recovery expenditures by showing movement of funding out of the Hurricane Helene Fund, as well as facilitate reporting,” OSBM wrote in the document.

OSBM also points out that the initial requests “should not be considered by any means an exhaustive list.”

Among the other requests:

• $150 million for school building, equipment and technology losses
• $21.1 million in additional childcare stabilization grants
• $16 million for school nutrition staff so they continue to be paid despite schools being closed
• Up to $100 million for transportation to match funds from FEMA and to cash flow projects that will be reimbursed by FEMA, noting that the storm caused more than 600 roads to close.

OSBM said a Damage and Needs Assessment is still underway. The earliest draft of that report is not expected until late October, while the earliest full draft is not expected until mid-November.

“I’ve heard from legislators in the eastern part of the state who have dealt with eastern hurricanes who say this is worse than anything they’ve dealt with,” said state Sen. Graig Meyer (D-Orange). “But ultimately, this is going to be a budget driver for us next year and maybe for years to come.”

Republican legislative leaders have not yet made public the bill they plan to take up Wednesday.

In a joint statement last week, Senate leader Phil Berger (R-Rockingham) and House Speaker Tim Moore (R-Cleveland) said:

“Over the past week, we’ve heard directly from residents in Western North Carolina and have seen the devastation firsthand. Our hearts are broken for the communities that have been ravaged by Hurricane Helene. Despite the destruction, it has been incredible to see how North Carolinians have stepped up to help. We cannot let up on those efforts or forget about the small communities that have been effectively closed off because of this storm.

“The General Assembly is preparing to come back next week to vote on an initial disaster relief package to facilitate the state’s response to Hurricane Helene. We are still working to determine what needs to be included in that legislation. Our thoughts and prayers remain with the victims of this storm and those who have lost loved ones, as well as the aid workers, volunteers, and rescue teams supporting the region.”

Over the weekend, U.S. Sen Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina) said on CBS’s Face the Nation that the legislature also would take up matters related to the upcoming election to try to ensure people in the affected communities are still able to vote.

It’s unclear what those changes will be. On Monday, the NC State Board of Elections voted unanimously to give county boards greater flexibility to change voting locations and take other steps to ensure people can still participate in the election. The board is requiring changes like that be made with bipartisan consensus.

NCSBE also has asked for $2 million in funding to help with conducting elections, including at sites that the storm damaged.

Local school leaders are asking for flexibility with the school calendar to account for missed days.

Superintendent Catherine Truitt (R) told CBS 17 last week that the requests are modeled on legislation the General Assembly passed in response to Hurricane Florence, which devastated much of eastern North Carolina in 2018.

While schools are initially asking for $150 million to repair buildings and technology, Truitt expects the true cost to climb much higher.

“We’re looking back to Hurricane Florence and saying what did our districts need in order to make schools safe again for students?” she said. “This is something that we’re going to have to be very intentional and specific about how we support each of our different school systems.”

Sen. Meyer said,  “I think we need to prioritize getting kids back to school as soon as possible. We learned during the pandemic what a mistake it is to keep kids out too long and to rely too much on remote learning. We can look at what happened with displaced students during Hurricane Katrina and how much it hurt them to be going to school in other places and not back in their home schools.”

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