Speaking Out: Hard Work Lies Ahead, But So Does Success

There is little question that the road ahead for cities and towns in western North Carolina will be a difficult and long one. Recovery from the devastation wrought by Hurricane Helene will not be easy, and no one should pretend that it will be.

But as I have said in other communication since the storm, I have hope and confidence in our ability to recover. We have seen it before, in disasters like Hurricane Floyd and more recently Florence and Michael, that left eastern towns and cities reeling in the wake of flooding and destroyed infrastructure.

Our cities and towns, and their leaders, led the way to recovery in those storms and will lead the way again following this latest natural disaster. Already, I have seen countless images of municipal workers from across the state traveling to western North Carolina to help with search and rescue efforts, security and transportation, restoring power and water systems, and much, much more.

I am filled with pride to be a part of our collective network of cities and towns who, despite having strained resources of their own, are at the ready to help their neighbors now and into the future.

But again, this response was just the beginning. A lot of hard work is ahead. Repairing the infrastructure that serves and connects people, their homes and their businesses will take time and resources. Rebuilding homes and businesses, and providing the necessary economic support to individuals and business owners as that occurs, will likewise require focus and commitment, at all levels of government.

I earlier mentioned Hurricane Floyd, the storm that flooded major portions of eastern North Carolina in 1999. With large portions of towns and cities like Rocky Mount, Greenville, Tarboro and many others inundated with flood waters, it may provide the closest parallel to Hurricane Helene and the damage wrought in western North Carolina.

At that time, as the federal government poured in roughly $2 billion in assistance helping repair people’s lives, the state responded with more than $825 million to help fill the gaps not covered by the federal aid and private insurance. In today’s dollars, that $825 million equals $1.5 billion.

That state assistance—in addition to providing for individual help in rebuilding homes, businesses and infrastructure— covered a range of needs that people only begin to contemplate after immediate needs are met. Yes, debris has to be removed, homes and businesses rebuilt, and roads and other infrastructure reworked. As that occurs, the economic losses that accrue—to individuals, businesses and our local governments in the form of lost sales and property taxes— will need to be mitigated.

That will be the case with this storm as well.

I am proud that this organization, the NC League of Municipalities, has already been busy responding to Hurricane Helene. 

The Risk Management Services Claims team has activated our CAT Response Plan and is at the ready to respond to members of the Property & Casualty Trust as coverage questions and claims start pouring in. Likewise, our field staffers have been in communication with affected members to determine needs and next steps. We have also been in communication with the State Emergency Management officials and offered our assistance with amplifying their important directives, updates and other information through our social media channels and on a Hurricane Helene landing page.

Our staff will be taking a key role in assisting towns and cities navigate FEMA requirements and other assistance programs. We have met with representatives of the governor’s office, U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis’ office and state legislators to discuss the needs and challenges. We will continue to do so and advocate on your behalf.

Again, the road will be long. But we’ve done it before. Working together cooperatively, across local, state and federal lines, we can do it again, restoring western North Carolina communities to the great places that they have always been.