SE North Carolina News

Senators Ted Budd and Thom Tillis, along with Representatives Chuck Edwards, Don Davis, and Tim Moore, have introduced the Restoring Access to Mountain Homes Act. This bipartisan bill aims to allow Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Public Assistance funding for permanent repair of private roads and bridges destroyed by Hurricane Helene in Western North Carolina.

Currently, FEMA Individual Assistance is capped at $42,500 for all expenses. However, the cost to rebuild private roads and bridges often exceeds this limit. The state of North Carolina estimates a $350 million gap between what is funded and what is needed to restore these essential access points in mountainous regions. The proposed legislation seeks to bridge this gap by permitting FEMA public assistance to cover these costs.

Senator Budd emphasized the importance of this initiative: “Mountain homes often require private roads and bridges to connect their property to main roads and highways. Given FEMA’s Individual Assistance cap and the extensive cost of rebuilding these access points, I am proud to propose a bill that will allow the people of Western North Carolina to use Public Assistance dollars to regain access to their homes.”

Senator Tillis highlighted the widespread impact of Hurricane Helene: “Hurricane Helene caused widespread devastation, leaving many communities in Western North Carolina severely impacted and cut off from one another. This commonsense legislation ensures that FEMA public assistance funding can be used to repair private roads and bridges destroyed by the hurricane, allowing families in the hardest-hit areas to reconnect to main roads and highways as they continue to recover.”

Representative Edwards pointed out the scale of destruction: “Every disaster response official I’ve heard from agrees on one thing: Hurricane Helene destroyed the greatest number of private roads and bridges they’ve ever seen in one disaster. We’re entering month six since Helene hit our mountains, and there are still folks with limited access to many of our mountain homes."

Representative Davis noted the importance of infrastructure repair: “The Restoring Access to Mountain Homes Act will provide local governments and the NC Department of Transportation the authority to repair essential infrastructure and receive reimbursement for those efforts."

Representative Moore stressed community resilience: “Western North Carolina is home to some of the most resilient and hardworking communities in the nation... This bipartisan bill will help reconnect our communities."

The bill intends for NCDOT and local governments in Western North Carolina's affected areas be reimbursed by FEMA for repairs made under its provisions.