WNC Helene Recovery Funds Grow, But Advocates Warn Billions More Are Needed

ASHEVILLE — More than 18 months after Hurricane Helene carved a path of destruction through Western North Carolina, state and local leaders are pressing for billions more in federal assistance even as new funding announcements signal incremental progress in what officials describe as the largest natural disaster recovery effort in the state's history.Gov. Josh Stein announced $40 million in disaster relief and mitigation funding on March 6, part of a broader package that includes $75 million sec