N.C. Gov. Josh Stein signed five executive orders addressing Hurricane Helene recovery efforts Wednesday, shortly after he was sworn into office as the state’s 76th governor.
Two orders addressing housing and infrastructure needs received unanimous concurrence from the Council of State. The remaining three orders create a dedicated recovery office for western North Carolina within the office of the governor, establish an advisory committee on the recovery and give state employees time off for community service related to Helene relief.
“The needs facing this region are vast and require immediate attention,” Stein said at a Wednesday press conference in Asheville. “I pledge to do everything in my power as governor to accelerate recovery and the rebuilding of a more resilient region for the long haul.”
Stein’s action comes over three months into the state’s response to the Category 4 hurricane, which wreaked devastation across parts of the southeastern U.S. — including western North Carolina — in late September. According to a Dec. 13 assessment from then-Gov. Roy Cooper’s office and the Office of State Management and Budget, Helene caused an estimated $53.8 billion of damage in the state and over 100 deaths.
Per the report, nearly 90% of the estimated direct and indirect damage falls under five categories: the economy, housing, utilities and natural resources, transportation and agriculture. The state pointed out that “the damage attributable to Helene is roughly three and a half times the $16.7 billion impact of Hurricane Florence in 2018,” which was previously rated by multiple sources as the second-most damaging hurricane in state history.
The report also advocated for an additional $5.8 billion to be invested in “strengthening and mitigation” in the storm’s aftermath.
Stein’s first executive order, “Increasing Temporary Housing Supply in Western N.C.,” authorizes the N.C. Department of Public Safety to buy 1,000 temporary homes for people displaced by Helene and waives certain regulations to speed up the process. The Federal Emergency Management Agency will reimburse the state government’s procurement costs, as provided by an October order from President Joe Biden to fund North Carolina’s recovery for six months.
“While we are not losing focus on our longer-term rebuilding goals, I want to reiterate that people need temporary housing now,” Stein said at the press conference, noting that over 12,000 people remain displaced. According to Stein, the temporary homes will house people on their properties “through the winter” as their permanent residences undergo repairs.
The second order, “Repairing Roads and Bridges,” delegates the governor’s power to “establish emergency assistance funds” to the director of North Carolina’s Emergency Management Division to provide state aid for repairing private roads and bridges and waives some procurement, inspection and permit regulations. The order states that the hurricane damaged over 8,000 such transportation routes.
Most provisions in both orders will remain in effect until Feb. 28 — five months after Biden approved an Expedited Major Disaster Declaration for the state. The others will remain in effect “through the duration of the state of emergency” or “until repealed, replaced or rescinded by another applicable executive order.”
In a Thursday letter to Stein, newly elected State Auditor Dave Boliek noted his concurrence but wrote that “elements of the executive orders will be questioned with a focus on accountability,” particularly how funding is being spent.
Another order established the Governor’s Recovery Office for Western North Carolina (GROW NC) to help coordinate interagency efforts and provide public updates on the recovery process. At the press conference, Stein explained that recovery efforts would no longer be overseen by the N.C. Office of Resiliency and Recovery, which was established by Cooper in 2019 and has since faced allegations of inefficiency.
Furthermore, the order established a new Community Revitalization Division in the state’s Department of Commerce to oversee economic development, housing construction and other programs in the affected region.
The fourth executive order establishes the Governor’s Advisory Committee on Western North Carolina Recovery, which will consist of up to 35 members appointed by Stein and will advise him on housing, small business relief, infrastructure repair, federal funding needs and other recovery-related issues.
Stein noted at the press conference that the order “formalizes” the already established committee of “business, government and civic leaders from across western North Carolina” and named Democratic Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer and Republican state Sen. Kevin Corbin as its co-chairs.
In addition to the current 24 hours of paid community service leave state employees are entitled to, the final order allots an additional 16 hours of paid leave during the 2025 calendar year for participating in relief efforts, either with “a local government entity or an established nonprofit.”
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Samanyu Gangappa is a Trinity sophomore and local/national news editor for the news department.