Local leaders concerned after FEMA denies Helene cleanup request
WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — After the Federal Emergency Management Agency denied North Carolina’s request to continue covering the cost of Hurricane Helene debris cleanup, officials in the Cape Fear are now concerned about the future of federal disaster assistance.
“Well it’s disheartening to say the least,” Wilmington City Councilwoman Salette Andrews said, adding the decision goes against campaign promises made by President Donald Trump.
“It sends a chilling message to those of us here on the east coast, southeastern North Carolina, Wilmington in particular, because we get hit by storms a lot and they’re going to be more frequent with climate change,” she said. “So, it’s very disheartening that our federal partners—that we can’t depend on them anymore.”
Governor Josh Stein requested that FEMA match 100% of the costs associated with Helene cleanup—an amount established by the Biden Administration.
That request was denied. The state then appealed, but FEMA said no again.
In a letter to Gov. Stein, FEMA’s Acting Administrator David Richardson said extending coverage for another 180 days was “not warranted.”
The federal agency said it would reimburse 90% of the cost—which still leaves a funding gap of more than $200 million the state will have to make up.
New Hanover County Commissioner Rob Zapple says state and local government often cant handle the costs on their own.
“Almost all the time when we have a major event, the cost of debris removal, and of course reconstruction, is well beyond the ability of a single town or even county to be able to pay for,” he explained.
Vice Chair LeAnn Pierce says cost is a concern, but that our area has always received 100% reimbursement.
“We’ve always been reimbursed by FEMA, but we’re much more prepared than probably western North Carolina was,” she said.
Pierce also notes federal funds don’t always arrive quickly.
“They’re still getting, just now, some reimbursements from Florence,” she said. “So, it is slow, and that is one of the reasons our beach towns carry high fund balances and the county carries a high fund balance.”
Andrews calling on more accountability from Washington.
“With this new administration, they’re looking for ways to cut funding without stopping to think that this funding is really affecting the people who need it the most.”
