Keaton PetersThe cost of Hurricane Helene is piling up in rural North Carolina. Local governments in Henderson County are facing a staggering $180 million in projected recovery costs. County officials report that cities and towns have already spent $3.7 million on repairs to critical infrastructure, with Hendersonville alone anticipating $163 million in total expenses, primarily for water and sewer facilities.
The scope of the debris removal operation illustrates the unprecedented scale of destruction. Contractors have hauled away nearly 505,000 cubic yards of debris, with the vast majority (494,000 cubic yards) coming from road right-of-ways. Additional debris removal has included 1,500 cubic yards from waterways and 7,700 cubic yards from private properties. Currently, 26 debris removal crews are working throughout the county, with a FEMA contractor having received more than 800 applications for private property cleanup assistance.
Henderson County has received $16 million in revenues, including insurance proceeds, but has already spent just under $15 million, leaving a slim $1 million buffer as recovery work continues. Total projected county expenses are expected to reach $61.5 million, not including the extensive debris removal operations currently underway.
Hendersonville’s projected $163 million in recovery costs represents the largest financial burden among local municipalities, with most funds allocated to repair and rebuilding water treatment plants, sewer facilities, pump stations and utility lines. The city has already spent $3 million on immediate recovery efforts.
Other communities facing significant recovery costs include Laurel Park, which projects $15 million in expenses primarily for road and drainage repairs, and Fletcher, which anticipates $1.2 million for park restoration. Mills River and Flat Rock are dealing with smaller but still substantial repair budgets for their public facilities.
The North Carolina Legislature has allocated additional funding for private road and bridge repairs in its latest Helene relief bill, bringing hope to the 580 Henderson County residents who reported damage to private access routes.
The challenges facing Henderson County mirror a larger crisis across western North Carolina. In February, Gov. Josh Stein submitted a federal funding request seeking $19 billion in additional federal assistance to address nearly $60 billion in damages statewide.
The governor’s request outlines the scale of destruction: more than 185,000 homes damaged across western North Carolina, with an estimated 96% of residents with flood damage lacking flood insurance. Critical infrastructure throughout the region suffered severe damage, with roads and bridges damaged at more than 6,900 sites.
The document specifically addresses the challenge of private road and bridge repairs, seeking federal authorization for FEMA to reimburse permanent repairs to private roads and bridges with a 90%/10% federal-state cost share and requesting an increase in the current $40,000 cap to $85,000.
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