SE North Carolina News

Senators Ted Budd and Thom Tillis have urged President Biden to allocate federal disaster recovery resources, including temporary housing assistance, to aid families affected by Hurricane Helene in Western North Carolina. The senators emphasized the urgency of moving families from hotels back to their properties before winter.

In a letter addressed to the President, Budd and Tillis highlighted that only 93 families have been placed in FEMA direct housing so far. They stressed the unprecedented nature of Hurricane Helene's impact on Western North Carolina and called for an equally unprecedented response.

The senators noted that more than $1.1 billion has been allocated by the state to the Hurricane Helene Fund. Additionally, they mentioned their efforts with Congress to pass the American Relief Act of 2025, which provides significant disaster relief funding for North Carolina.

Budd and Tillis previously requested immediate deployment of FEMA direct temporary housing resources in Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHA) in Western North Carolina but have yet to receive a response from the administration. They pointed out that over 5,600 households are currently enrolled in FEMA Transitional Sheltering Assistance (TSA) hotels, with minimal progress made toward deploying direct temporary housing resources.

Comparing this situation with past disasters, they noted that after Hurricane Florence in 2018, FEMA had placed 413 families in direct temporary housing at a similar stage post-disaster. They described the current pace as unacceptable.

The senators concluded by urging President Biden to deploy all available federal disaster recovery resources promptly and remove any regulatory barriers hindering progress. They expressed readiness to collaborate with him to provide much-needed assistance to those impacted by Hurricane Helene.