Sen. Ted Budd is touting a fresh shot of federal disaster cash that he says will steer $103 million in FEMA Public Assistance grants to 50 recovery projects tied to Hurricanes Helene and Florence. His office says the new money is tagged for clearing debris, reopening schools, and fixing roads and bridges that still carry the scars of the storms. Local officials have been leaning on Washington for months as communities cover costs up front and wait for federal reimbursements to land.
Budd’s Post And The Official Statement
In a post on X and a statement out of Washington, D.C., Budd said FEMA had approved "an additional $103 million in public assistance grants for 50 projects" and that the funding "will allow more recovery projects to move forward," his office wrote. The statement and the social media post spell out the types of efforts expected to benefit, from school repairs to infrastructure work that has been stuck in the pipeline.
What The Public Assistance Grants Cover
FEMA’s Public Assistance program reimburses state and local governments for emergency protective measures, debris removal, and repairs to public infrastructure such as schools, water systems, roads, and bridges. Federal officials sign off as individual projects are verified and scopes are finalized, so money tends to move in waves rather than all at once. The grants often pay for exactly the kind of work Budd highlighted. FEMA details how the program is structured and how the dollars are allocated.
Where This Fits In North Carolina’s Recovery
The $103 million announcement lands after months of sustained pressure from local leaders frustrated by slow reimbursements. Federal officials previously released more than $116 million for Helene recovery in January, but county officials say a long list of projects is still waiting in line. WRAL reported on that earlier payout and on how delayed approvals have strained local budgets and basic services.
Officials React
"There is still more work to be done to make the people of Western North Carolina whole," Budd said in his statement, adding that the additional public assistance funding "will allow more recovery projects to move forward." His post on X echoed that language, as lawmakers and state recovery officials continue to push for faster signoffs from Washington. Reporting from BPR News has documented how delays left local governments fronting debris-removal and infrastructure costs while they waited on the federal government to catch up.
What’s Next
FEMA and the Department of Homeland Security say more obligations are expected on a rolling basis as projects are checked and approved, and federal officials say they plan to keep working through a national backlog of Public Assistance requests. A broader round of disaster funding that includes Helene and other events is outlined in a DHS release summarized by Federal Newswire, which notes the program’s focus on restoring essential public services.
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