RALEIGH, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — Gov. Roy Cooper says work to repair and rebuild communities ravaged by Hurricane Helene will continue despite changes in state and federal leadership.
The outgoing, term-limited governor on Friday attended a meeting for western local governments hosted by the North Carolina League of Municipalities and North Carolina Association of County Commissioners focused on urgent needs for recovery in the affected region.
“Today, I heard from municipal and county leaders from across Western North Carolina about their medium and long-term needs to rebuild and strengthen their communities after Hurricane Helene,” said Cooper. “We will continue every day the work of repairing these communities as we move toward new state and federal administrations to ensure there is a coordinated bipartisan strategy to get the job done.”
Fellow Democrat Josh Stein will take over as governor in January after serving as the NC attorney general and will be joined by several new Council of State members, including Jeff Jackson as attorney general, Rachel Hunt as lieutenant governor and Luke Farley as labor commissioner.
There will be changes in national leadership that will impact funds with Donald Trump being elected president.
In October, Cooper announced his budget recommendation to help western North Carolina rebuild stronger, recommending an initial $3.9 billion package to begin rebuilding critical infrastructure, homes, businesses, schools and farms damaged during the storm that wiped out entire communities and was the deadliest storm in state history.
Initial damage estimates are $53 billion, roughly three times Hurricane Florence’s estimates in 2018 and another figure that’s the largest in state history.
While the legislature failed to pass the amount outlined in the governor’s budget for recovery, the General Assembly will return later in November and could provide additional needed relief for Western North Carolina.
Source: Fox 8 News Channel