Statement from Governor Josh Stein on FEMA’s Denial of North Carolina’s Reimbursement Request

Today Governor Josh Stein released the following statement in reaction to news that FEMA had denied North Carolina’s request for an extension of its 100% cost reimbursement for debris removal: 

“The first step to help western North Carolina recover is to clean up all the debris. So far, we have removed more than 12 million cubic yards of debris from roads and water ways, but given the immense scale of the wreckage, we have only scratched the surface. FEMA’s denial of our appeal will cost North Carolina taxpayers potentially hundreds of millions of dollars to clean up out west. The money we have to pay toward debris removal will mean less money towards supporting our small businesses, rebuilding downtown infrastructure, repairing our water and sewer systems, and other critical needs.

“Despite this news, we are going to stay the course. We will keep pushing the federal and state governments to do right by western North Carolina. We will keep working with urgency, focus, and transparency to get any appropriated money on the ground as quickly as we can to speed the recovery. We will not forget the people of western North Carolina.”

Governor Josh Stein continues to advocate for the Trump administration and the U.S. Congress to send $19 billion to North Carolina for disaster relief - $11.5 billion in new appropriations and $7.5 billion in allocations from previous appropriations. Earlier this week, he released his second state Hurricane Helene budget proposal of $891 million to spur economic recovery, strengthen critical infrastructure, and get people back into their homes.