Disaster Recovery

• The new Division of Community Revitalization within our agency will administer a $1.4 billion federal grant designed to address unmet hurricane recovery needs in Western North Carolina, with a particular focus on housing.  This team publishes details of the Division's work at their new website, CommerceRecovery.nc.gov.
• The federal grant comes from the U.S. Housing and Urban Development agency (HUD), through its Community Development Block Grant - Disaster Recovery program (CDBG-DR).
• The application process is now open for the first program under the HUD grant, known as the Renew NC Single-Family Housing Program.
• An Action Plan for managing the HUD grant was submitted to the federal government on March 26 and HUD approved North Carolina's Action Plan on April 25, 2025.
• After HUD certifies the state's financial controls for the program, which we expect soon, North Carolina can sign the final grant agreement.
• The Action Plan, following required guidelines from HUD, can address three broad areas of recovery: housing, infrastructure, and economic vitality.
• This western North Carolina CDBG-DR grant has no connection with previous CDBG-DR grants managed by the North Carolina Office of Recovery & Resiliency (NCORR)

The State of North Carolina developed and submitted to the U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) agency what's known as an Action Plan for the federal CDBG-Disaster Recovery grant.  Review the approved plan and earlier proposals at the Division of Community Revitalization's website:

• Approved HUD CDBG-DR Action Plan for Hurricane Helene

Federally Declared Disaster Counties:

Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Cabarrus, Caldwell, Catawba, Cherokee, Clay, Cleveland, Forsyth, Gaston, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Iredell, Jackson, Lee, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mecklenburg, Mitchell, Nash, Polk, Rowan, Rutherford, Stanly, Surry, Swain, Transylvania, Union, Watauga, Wilkes, Yadkin, and Yancey counties as well as the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians of North Carolina

The U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) designated 39 counties in North Carolina eligible for Hurricane Helene disaster recovery funds. To aid counties in applying for FEMA and other relief programs, the Labor and Economic Analysis Division (LEAD) has prepared economic and labor market data reflecting conditions prior to the storm, available here:

Labor Market Data for Helene-Impacted Counties

The file includes the following county-level information:

• Labor force statistics, including the number of employed individuals, the size of the labor force, and the unemployment rate
• Private business establishments’ jobs and average weekly wages in current dollars, both at the total, all industries level and the industry sector level
• Private business establishment counts, both as a whole and by employee size groups
• Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in current dollars
• Commuting patterns
• Demographics by sex, race, ethnicity, age, and educational attainment
• Housing data, including counts of owner- and renter-occupied units and median housing costs in current dollars
• Tourism and total taxable retail sales amounts in current dollars

For additional inquiries or assistance, please send an e-mail to lead@commerce.nc.gov.

Other Supporting Documents

• Report | Damage and Needs Assessment, Hurricane Helene Recovery (N.C. OSBM, December 13, 2024)

Presentations

• Presentation | N.C. Proposed HUD Action Plan (CDBG-DR) Overview - February 2025 Public Hearings
• Presentation | GROW NC • NCGA House Select Committee, January 29, 2025

A special unemployment insurance benefits program known as Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) supports residents that experience a disruption in employment due to a federally declared disaster.

• Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) benefits were available to people in the 39 counties (as well as the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians) impacted by Hurricane Helene.
  • The deadline to apply has passed and no further claims for DUA can be accepted.
  • Counties eligible to receive DUA benefits include: Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Cabarrus, Caldwell, Catawba, Cherokee, Clay, Cleveland, Forsyth, Gaston, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Iredell, Jackson, Lee, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mecklenburg, Mitchell, Nash, Polk, Rowan, Rutherford, Stanly, Surry, Swain, Transylvania, Union, Watauga, Wilkes, Yadkin and Yancey counties, plus the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
• Residents with questions about DUA unemployment assistance can check online at des.nc.gov or by calling the DUA Hotline.
  • English – 919-629-3857
  • Spanish – 919-276-5698

NCWorks Career Centers are Open to Help Residents in Impacted Counties

• NCWorks Career Centers provide free services to help connect NC jobseekers with employers and are open for people that need internet or computer access to apply for Unemployment Insurance.
• NCWorks Career Centers also help employers find workers and post job openings, including those related to the recovery from Hurricane Helene. Visit nc.works/Helene to learn more.
• Updates on weather-related closings are available at nc.works/closings.
• Residents can call the NCWorks Career Center system at 1-855-NCWorks (855-629-6757).
• Hours of operation vary by center, and some are not open every weekday. Find more information about locations at www.NCWorks.gov.

SBA Declarations 20701 & 20702 | Hurricane Helene

• NC 20701 & 20702 Fact Sheet, Disaster Loans
• NC 20701 & 20702 Press release

U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Programs

The United States Small Business Administration regularly offers low-interest disaster loans to help businesses and homeowners recover from declared disasters.  The SBA will issue press releases and fact sheets for particular incidents, and the Helene-related links to those opportunities are below.

SBA personnel are available at several physical locations known as Multi-Agency Resource Centers, or MARCs across the western part of the state.

Small Business Owners Can Apply for Disaster Assistance and Loans through SBA

• U.S. SBA Physical and Economic Injury Disaster Loans are available to help business and homeowners recover from federally declared disasters.
• SBA announced both Physical and Economic Injury Disaster Loans for businesses and residents of Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Clay, Cleveland, Gaston, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mecklenburg, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Swain, Transylvania, Watauga, Wilkes, and Yancey counties and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
• Small businesses and nonprofit organizations in the following adjacent counties are only eligible to apply for SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs): Cabarrus, Cherokee, Graham, Iredell, Surry, Union, and Yadkin.
• You can apply here: MySBA Loan Portal

The United States Department of Labor awarded North Carolina a Disaster Recovery Dislocated Worker Grant to provide jobs and training services in areas that were severely impacted by Hurricane Helene. The North Carolina Department of Commerce’s Division of Workforce Solutions requested this grant.

• To apply for the Hurricane Helene dislocated worker grant program, residents should contact their local NCWorks Career Center. Contact information is available at ncworks.gov.

VisitNC, North Carolina's tourism promotion unit, publishes regular travel advisories and updates on the many opportunities to visit western North Carolina destinations, many of which are open and back to welcoming visitors. 

SBA Declarations 21206 & 21207 | Tropical Depression Chantal

• NC 21206 & 21207 Fact Sheet, Disaster Loans

The United States Small Business Administration regularly offers low-interest disaster loans to help businesses and homeowners recover from declared disasters. The SBA will issue press releases and fact sheets for particular incidents.

SBA personnel are available at several physical locations to support the Tropical Depression Chantal disaster in central North Carolina.

You can apply here: MySBA Loan Portal