The Department of Homeland Security said Monday it is releasing an additional $64.2 million in disaster relief for communities across western North Carolina struggling to recover from Hurricane Helene.

The funds, distributed through the Federal Emergency Management Agency, will support more than 200 state and local projects. DHS said in a news release the money will pay for road repairs, critical infrastructure restoration, debris removal, and other emergency measures to protect life and property in the storm's aftermath.

"Our message to North Carolinians is clear: We are in your corner," DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement. "Since Jan. 20, 2025, FEMA has delivered over $380 million in public assistance to North Carolina and $2 billion for debris removal, totaling $3 billion since Hurricane Helene, making our efforts one of the largest debris missions ever."

DHS added that North Carolina families have received $509 million in direct aid, $209.4 million in National Flood Insurance Program claims, and housing support for nearly 6,000 households.

Hurricane Helene struck Florida's Big Bend region on Sept. 26, 2024, as a Category 4 storm, unleashing catastrophic inland flooding that devastated parts of the Southeast and southern Appalachians. The storm killed at least 250 people — the deadliest U.S. hurricane since Katrina in 2005 — and caused an estimated $78.7 billion in nationwide damage, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

In North Carolina alone, the storm's economic impact approached $60 billion, state officials said.

Sen. Ted Budd, R-N.C., welcomed Monday's announcement, noting that many communities are still waiting to be reimbursed for early cleanup costs.

"I am thankful for President Trump's strong support for western North Carolina and personal interest in reducing the backlog of projects requiring reimbursement," Budd said. "I will do everything I can to ensure communities in western North Carolina expeditiously receive the funding they were promised."

Hours later, Gov. Josh Stein, a Democrat, said he would travel to Washington on Wednesday to request an additional $13.5 billion in federal aid, The Carolina Journal reported. Stein said the state urgently needs direct support to rebuild homes, repair infrastructure, and keep small businesses afloat without the delays tied to federal reimbursement programs.

Stein also pressed for $400 million in Small Business Administration funds to expand forgivable loans and $2 billion in special FEMA disaster loans for local governments. Congress created those loans after Hurricane Katrina to help cities maintain basic services such as police and sanitation.

"Western North Carolina towns and cities were forced to spend money that they didn't have to rescue people from disaster," Stein said. "With so many people displaced and business activity diminished, there's no such thing as a stable source of revenue for these local governments."

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