The North Carolina Emergency Management announced a new deadline earlier this month for communities impacted by Hurricane Helene to request assistance and funding. Western North Carolina residents in Helene disaster-declared counties, will have until Aug. 31, to submit project interest forms. Applications can be submitted through the North Carolina Emergency Managment Private Road and Bridge Program (NC-PRB).
The NC-PRB program also announced it will initiate a formal application process for newly authorized reimbursements for Helene private road and bridge repairs that have already been completed. The funding will total an additional $25 million with individual reimbursements permitted to cover up to 50% of a project’s total cost. Applications are set to open in early September and will be considered through February.
In accordance with The Disaster Recovery Act of 2025 – Part I, the NC-PRB program will prioritize direct repairs and replacements to projects on private roads or bridges that:
- Are the sole access for emergency services to residential properties occupied by the property owner for more than six months of the calendar year.
- Provide access to multiple residential homes, recreation or commercial facilities.
The NC-PRB program was established by the state earlier this year to provide permanent private property access repairs to those most in need following Hurricane Helene. Since mid-March, the program has received more than 5,100 interest form submissions covering nearly 16,000 impacted households. Additionally, the NC-PRB workers have completed more than 4,700 on-site verifications and initial estimates in every county impacted by the storm.
Permanent bridge repair is underway in Yancey, McDowell and Buncombe counties while an additional 128 sites have been identified for initial construction. 137 further sites in these counties have been identified for engineering design.
Construction contracts serving the remaining hurricane-affected counties will be advertised and awarded this month. These contracts include projects for road, pipe, and culvert repair. Further program information, access to forms, and key dates can be found on the North Carolina Department of Public Safety website.
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