Buncombe County seeks $582 million in state aid for Helene recovery efforts

BUNCOMBE COUNTY, N.C. (WLOS) — A new Helene recovery bill for Buncombe County was filed asking for an additional $582 million from the state on Tuesday, April 8, according to a county press release.

Buncombe County's House delegation filed the bill. Representatives Eric Ager, Brian Turner and Lindsey Prather created the Disaster Recovery Act of 2025 Part 1(b) or HB 863.

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“Towns and counties all across Western North Carolina are struggling to develop a budget for next year’s needs after months of reduced sales taxes and property taxes. The state must step in and help them get back on their feet now so they can continue to work towards recovery” Prather said.

The bill requests help for many aspects of the county that were affected by Helene which includes small businesses, housing, infrastructure and more. The bill even addresses the issue of wildfires.

“We are in the midst of one of the worst wildfire seasons on record and hurricane season is around the corner. Climate disasters keep their own calendar, so the state needs to move faster” Turner said.

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Here's a breakdown of HB 863's financial requests for recovery from Helene:

• Small businesses: $107 million
• Housing needs: $105 million
• Revenue replacement grants to local governments: $100 million
• Land and water funds: $50 million
• Wildfire response and preparation: $19 million
• Streambank stabilization, stream restoration, and stormwater control: $75.5 million
• Food banks: $20 million
• Farms and forests: $12.5 million
• Community college small business centers: $14 million
• Summer learning programs: $25.2 million
• State agency staffing and operations like the DMV: $20 million
• Legal Aid and Pisgah Legal: $3 million
• Independent colleges and universities: $3 million
• Emergency Management for backup power and communication infrastructure: $11.5 million
• Dam removal projects: $10 million
• Septic repair and replacement: $4 million
• Recycling infrastructure and businesses: $2 million

Buncombe County said they expect one more disaster relief bill to pass in the legislature before the budget this summer.