WYFF - FEMA denies North Carolina's appeal for hurricane debris cost reimbursement

Updated: 5:35 PM EDT May 23, 2025
Zach Rainey

RALEIGH, N.C. — On Friday afternoon, FEMA denied North Carolina's appeal to extend 100-percent cost reimbursement for debris removal cost-sharing related to Hurricane Helene recovery.

Read the full letter of denial, here.

North Carolina Governor Josh Stein released the following statement in reaction to FEMA's decision:

"The first step to help western North Carolina recover is to clean up all the debris. So far, we have removed more than 12 million cubic yards of debris from roads and waterways, but given the immense scale of the wreckage, we have only scratched the surface. FEMA’s denial of our appeal will cost North Carolina taxpayers potentially hundreds of millions of dollars to clean up out west. The money we have to pay toward debris removal will mean less money towards supporting our small businesses, rebuilding downtown infrastructure, repairing our water and sewer systems, and other critical needs.

Despite this news, we are going to stay the course. We will keep pushing the federal and state governments to do right by western North Carolina. We will keep working with urgency, focus, and transparency to get any appropriated money on the ground as quickly as we can to speed the recovery. We will not forget the people of western North Carolina."

North Carolina has also requested $19 billion in disaster relief from the Trump administration and Congress.

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