The Federal Emergency Management Agency rejected Gov. Josh Stein’s request for extended help with Hurricane Helene debris removal.
Stein in February submitted a 48-page request to President Donald Trump and Congress for billions of dollars of additional funding for a wide range of recovery efforts in western North Carolina.
As part of that, Stein asked to extend a 100% federal cost-sharing arrangement for debris removal and emergency protective measures that had been in effect since the storm devastated the state’s mountain region in September.
FEMA Administrator Cameron Hamilton last week denied Stein’s request.
“Based on our review of all the information available, it has been determined that the increased level of funding you have requested for major disaster FEMA-4827-DR is not warranted,” Hamilton wrote in a letter dated April 11, using the agency’s designation for Hurricane Helene.
Stein on Friday expressed his disappointment and urged Trump to reconsider.
“The need in western North Carolina remains immense — people need debris removed, homes rebuilt, and roads restored,” Stein said in a news release.
The governor in February said that although 3.7 million cubic yards of debris had been removed by Jan. 29, 15 million cubic yards remained. The work has been delayed by factors including the rugged mountain topography and complex logistics, he said.
Although FEMA rejected Stein's request to extend 100% cost-sharing, a 90% match for eligible expenses will remain in effect.
U.S. Rep. Chuck Edwards, a Republican who represents much of the state’s mountain area, said an extension of the 100% cost-sharing arrangement would be unprecedented.
“Instead, I’m focusing on other ways I can make a tangible difference in helping the citizens of Western North Carolina recover more quickly,” Edwards said in a statement. “This includes continuing to assist survivors with FEMA casework and working with the administration to find additional avenues to alleviate the financial stress our communities and the state of North Carolina are facing.”
A Trump spokesman said his administration has given ample emergency aid and continues to work with North Carolina officials to speed recovery.
"The fact that President Trump's first trip outside of Washington, D.C. during his second term in office was to visit Hurricane Helene victims speaks to his and the administration's commitment to the North Carolinians who were forgotten by the Biden administration,” White House spokesman Kush Desai said in a statement.
Trump in late January surveyed storm recovery efforts in a visit to Asheville, where he suggested eliminating FEMA as part of an overhaul of how the nation responds to natural disasters.
North Carolina lawmakers last month approved another $528 million in state spending for storm recovery, including $200 million for debris removal and agricultural needs.
FEMA’s Hamilton notes in the message that the rejection of the cost-sharing request may be appealed.
