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When Hurricane Helene swept through North Carolina, it left more than a hundred people dead and some communities destroyed. Some of those rural communities are still working to rebuild a year later, while waiting on federal support. That includes more than a billion dollars for road repairs, which the Department of Transportation announced this week. Gerard Albert III from Blue Ridge Public Radio has more.
GERARD ALBERT III, BYLINE: Sherry Murphy and Suzette Dupuis have lived on the same rural mountain road for more than 20 years. But the pair only met a few months ago, after trying to navigate the damage Hurricane Helene left on their mountain.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: It took some of my yard. I had water coming in the house where the roof - where the wind got so high up it loosened up my tin and water came into my roof.
ALBERT: Volunteers helped rebuild her roof and land. Now the issue is the road. It's the only route up the mountain for her and her hundreds of neighbors.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: We still have the roads to have to get fixed. The creek has to be cleaned 'cause there's asphalt in it.
ALBERT: A year after the storm, roads in the community of Bat Cave are a winding series of one-lane traffic, large construction equipment and gravel filling in where asphalt used to be. Every Wednesday, Murphy and Dupuis navigate the damaged roads to bring home-cooked meals to state contractors who are working to repair them.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #2: OK, here you go, hon.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #3: Thank you so much.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #2: Dig in (ph).
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: Have a great day.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #2: Have a great day.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #3: Y'all too.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: There's nothing better than to see the smile on these guys' face and knowing that we're going to be here till the end.
ALBERT: And that end is still a long way off. The storm forced closures and damaged more than 5,000 miles of roads throughout western North Carolina. Governor Josh Stein is worried they won't have money to fix them all.
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JOSH STEIN: We're still waiting on reimbursements for much of the work that's already been done.
ALBERT: Waiting for money from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help pay for the estimated $5 billion of road repair. FEMA has paid out just $100 million for roads so far.
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STEIN: West North Carolina has not received anywhere near what it needs, nor our fair share.
ALBERT: FEMA usually covers about half of the damage done by storms of this magnitude. The agency has so far paid out about 10% to North Carolina for its costs. The agency has not yet responded to questions about how much more it intends to cover. In a statement, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said, quote, "we're just getting started." Noem says the money that has been delivered so far is an example of a, quote, "streamlined, America-first FEMA that cuts through red tape and delivers results."
Meanwhile, communities are paying out of pocket and hoping for federal reimbursements. Henderson County, for example, spent $20 million clearing debris. That's 10% of their annual budget. Governor Stein says it's not a unique problem.
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STEIN: Western North Carolina towns and cities were forced to spend money that they didn't have to rescue people from disaster.
ALBERT: And, he says, with so many people displaced and businesses damaged, local governments just can't count on a stable source of tax revenue to help the rebuilding.
For NPR News, I'm Gerard Albert III.
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