Sept. 15 (UPI) -- North Carolina is requesting an additional $13.5 billion from the federal government nearly a year after Hurricane Helene ravaged the western part of the state.
Democratic Gov. Josh Stein asked Congress on Monday to approve the recovery aid for Western North Carolina, saying that the federal funds delivered so far have covered only 9% of the storm's $60 billion in damages, as he plans to travel to Washington, D.C., this week for meetings.
"Western North Carolina has not received anywhere near what it needs, nor our fair share," Stein said. "States that were similarly devastated following Hurricanes Katrina, Maria or Sandy saw 70% of their damages covered by federal funding."
"Next week, as we all know, will mark the one-year milestone since Hurricane Helene hit Western North Carolina," Stein added. "One year since hundreds-of-thousands of North Carolinians had their lives turned upside-down."
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