NC's cost for Hurricane Helene damage is nearly $60 billion, state says

Congressional leaders said they reached a last-minute deal
to fund the government, avoid a government shutdown and provide another $100
billion for disaster relief.

However, it’s not yet clear how much of that funding could
be coming to North Carolina to help with the aftermath of Hurricane
Helene. 

The latest estimates for the cost for storm in North
Carolina – released Friday by the state budget office – now put the total cost
at nearly $60 billion. That’s a more than 10%
increase since October. 

In an email, a state budget office spokesperson said that
increase comes, in part, simply because the state now has better data 

The spokesperson writing after Helene, “Communications were
disrupted, it was challenging to obtain information required for a
comprehensive assessment”

The latest figures show increases almost across the board –
in particular for housing – where Helene caused nearly $13.5 billion in damage
to tens of thousands of structures. 

The report also showing just how many North Carolinians are
stuck waiting for federal aid to be approved. 

That includes more than 2,500 businesses who’ve applied for
Federal Small Business Administration loans, but who’ve been left in limbo,
since that program ran out of funding in mid-October – waiting for Congress to
finally act.