Governor Josh Stein announced Thursday that $6 million will be put towards reducing flood risks across the state,
These funds will help restore the French Broad River Basin after catastrophic flooding from Hurricane Helene in the western part of the state last fall. It will also go toward others projects in the river basins of Cape Fear, Neuse, Tar-Pamlico, and Lumber rivers, according to a news release.
“Last year’s flooding of the French Broad River after Helene is a somber reminder of how damaging flooding can be to an area,” Gov. Stein said. “We must stay prepared for future severe weather events, and this funding will help communities become more resilient and less vulnerable to flooding.”
We must stay prepared for future severe weather events.
Heavy rains from hurricane Helene caused record flooding and damage on September 28, 2024 in Asheville, North Carolina Melissa Sue Gerrits/Getty Images via CNN Newsource
The grant funding was made possible by the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Flood Resiliency Blueprint program. Projects were chosen by the department’s Division of Water Resources, a news release said.
“Recent storm events, including Hurricane Helene, have highlighted the need for continued flood resilience initiatives across North Carolina,” Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) Secretary Reid Wilson said. “These targeted investments will strengthen resilience and help local governments reduce the costs, extent, damage, and disruption from flooding events.”
The Blueprint continues to allocate $76 million in funding to support flood mitigation projects, according to a news release, such as water retention, floodplain restoration, or nature-based flood mitigation efforts in the Cape Fear, French Broad, Lumber, Neuse, Tar Pamlico and White Oak river basins.
WATCH: ‘Hurricane Helene: One Year Later’: Full Episode
A look at the storm’s devastation and the resilience of the people in Western North Carolina.
