News

County receives $9.2 million to acquire flood-prone property

By Lightning Reports, Published: January 14, 2026

Henderson County will receive $9.2 million to acquire flood-prone properties as part of a new Helene recovery aid package of $117 million, U.S. Rep. Chuck Edwards announced Wednesday.

Whtever we get is gonna be with us until midweek," he said.

Overall, Western North Carolina will receive an additional $72 million in FEMA Public Assistance funding and $44.6 million through the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program to support ongoing recovery efforts. Besides Henderson County, Hazard Mitigation Grant Program payments included $14.2 million to Buncombe County.

Public Assistance funding helps repair and replace damaged public infrastructure, including roads, bridges, water and sewer systems, schools, and public safety facilities. These funds allow communities to restore essential services, reopen public facilities, and accelerate recovery efforts without diverting limited local resources. Both Henderson County and the city of Hendersonville have tallied up tens of millions of dollars worth of damage caused by Hurricane Helene to parks, water and sewer systems and other public property.

Hazard Mitigation Grant Program funding supports long-term projects designed to reduce future disaster damage. These investments help communities strengthen infrastructure, protect critical facilities and reduce the risk of repeat losses during future storms, saving taxpayer dollars and improving resilience across the region. Yet, Gov. Josh Stein said last October that FEMA had approved none of the more than 800 applications for buyouts property owners had made in Western North Carolina.

“Ever since Hurricane Helene devastated the lives of more than half a million North Carolinians, I have been working non-stop to obtain approval for federal relief necessary to rebuild Western North Carolina," U.S. Sen. Ted Budd said in a news release Wednedsday. "In recent months, I’ve engaged extensively with the Department of Homeland Security and FEMA regarding applications under the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program. I am glad that today, in addition to another tranche of public assistance funding totaling over $72 million, Secretary Noem has approved $44.6 million in grants for projects under the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program. While this is another promising step in the right direction, there are still families awaiting buyouts for their damaged and destroyed properties.

"As I have with the public assistance program, I pledge that I will continue to work closely with all federal, state, and local leaders to continue to identify projects that qualify for federal reimbursement, and I will be in constant contact with FEMA to get these dollars to Western North Carolina communities."

FEMA Public Assistance grants obligated include:

• $34.7 million to the North Carolina Department of Transportation for road and bridge repairs across more than 300 sites in Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Caldwell, Henderson, Mitchell, Surry and Watauga counties.
• $17.6 million to Rutherford County for the removal of nearly 700,000 cubic yards of debris and 75,000 trees and limbs from public rights of way, and the operation of four debris reduction sites.
• $10.5 million to the city of Asheville for potable water distribution, repair or replacement of more than 100 fleet vehicles, DeBruhl Water Treatment Plant repairs, and road repairs.
• $3.7 million to the Town of Beech Mountain for repairs to the town’s sewer system and wastewater treatment plant.

“We still have far to go, but today’s tranche of released funds helps us take yet another giant step forward," Edwards said. "When Hurricane Helene struck, it caused widespread damage to the infrastructure our communities rely on every day. Public Assistance funding helps restore essential services and get communities back up and running, while Hazard Mitigation funding ensures we rebuild smarter and stronger.”