As his first 100 days in office come to a close, Stein talks about rebuilding, federal aid, and the long road ahead after Helene.
Next week marks 100 days in office for North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein. In an interview with BPR, Stein said much of his early focus has been on helping Western North Carolina recover from Hurricane Helene and preparing the region for the growing risk of wildfires. Below are excerpts from Host Helen Chickering鈥檚 conversation with Stein.
Recovery from Hurricane Helene
鈥淭he number one priority has been trying to help Western North Carolina recover from the lingering and devastating effects of Hurricane Helene,鈥� Stein said. 鈥淭he scale, the magnitude 鈥� I don鈥檛 have to convince your listeners because they all lived it 鈥� but for folks across the state, it鈥檚 hard for people to appreciate just how broad the swath of damage was.鈥�
From damaged homes and infrastructure to loss of life, the storm left lasting scars. Stein recently visited Fletcher to mark six months since the hurricane: 鈥淭hose folks really 鈥� they suffered terribly. Much more than anyone鈥檚 fair share.鈥�
Stein鈥檚 administration has submitted a $1.6 billion action plan to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for long-term rebuilding. 鈥淪eventy to eighty percent of that is for housing 鈥� to help people whose homes were destroyed,鈥� he explained. 鈥淚t鈥檚 also for private roads and bridges, and to help towns and nonprofits with economic development.鈥�
The plan was submitted faster than any state impacted by Hurricane Helene 鈥� and faster than any state hit by a major hurricane in the last decade, according to Stein.
Still, he acknowledged the funding falls short. 鈥淚t鈥檚 nowhere near enough. But it can help,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd I鈥檓 committed to making sure every dollar we can direct gets back into the community quickly and effectively.鈥�
Addressing wildfire risk
The governor also addressed still burning in parts of Western North Carolina 鈥� many fueled by debris left by Helene. 鈥淟ast month, North Carolina had twice the number of wildfires we typically see in March,鈥� Stein said. 鈥淭here is a lot of fuel on the ground 鈥� trees that are down, drying, essentially becoming timber.鈥�
He鈥檚 calling for a major expansion of the state鈥檚 firefighting capacity. 鈥淲e need many more Forest Service employees,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檝e asked the General Assembly to fund dozens more. We also need to raise pay because there are too many vacancies.鈥�
Stein emphasized that coordination is key, noting his office is working closely with the North Carolina Forest Service, the U.S. Forest Service, the State Fire Marshal and local firefighters. 鈥淲e鈥檙e doing our level best to save property and life.鈥�
A new recovery office 鈥� and a new approach
Stein also pointed to lessons learned from slow recovery efforts after Hurricanes Matthew and Florence. 鈥淭he main struggle in the East was how long it took,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 why urgency is something I preach every day.鈥�
He鈥檚 created a new office, called the Governor鈥檚 Recovery Office for Western North Carolina 鈥� or 鈥淕row NC鈥� 鈥� to keep efforts centralized and coordinated. 鈥淚t鈥檚 in my office. Every day I hear directly from the director, Matt Calabria, about what鈥檚 happening across agencies.鈥�
Those agencies include Environmental Quality, Transportation, Agriculture, Commerce, and Public Safety 鈥� all playing a role in recovery. 鈥淚 want to make sure we have complete coordination and visibility into every aspect,鈥� Stein said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 the primary difference. It鈥檚 in my office, and it鈥檚 what we start every day with.鈥�
Challenges ahead
Despite the progress, Stein acknowledged the work ahead is complex. 鈥淲e鈥檒l never go as fast as what the people of Western North Carolina deserve,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut we鈥檙e making progress.鈥�
He pointed to athat will help jumpstart housing construction. 鈥淲e鈥檝e got contractors on standby, and they鈥檙e out there putting nails into walls with hammers all summer,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 want to get as many houses done as we can before winter.鈥�
One major concern: delays in federal reimbursement. 鈥淲e鈥檝e already paid about $150 million in bills that FEMA has committed to reimbursing but the money hasn鈥檛 come yet,鈥� he said. 鈥淵ou鈥檇 be a fool not to be worried.鈥�
Still, Stein expressed optimism about continued collaboration. 鈥淲e鈥檙e committed to maintaining and strengthening this relationship with FEMA and the rest of the federal government,鈥� he said.
