This week, North Carolina joined 22 other states in filing a motion to enforce an earlier ruling that demanded FEMA release funding for the more than 2,000 Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities projects left in limbo nationwide.

The town of Lake Lure has begun to fill up the lake again after Hurricane Helene left it damaged. Town officials and local business owners are hoping the May reopening date will bring back tourism.

The state launched the $175 million program last year as a way to help people who have remained cut off from public roadways since Hurricane Helene.

$290 million will allow the agencies to spend the next decade stewarding wildlife habitat and improving outdoor recreation after the storm.

In this latest release, the lion’s share went to North Carolina Emergency Management for the shower stations, water distribution and other emergency services deployed during Helene.

Most recreational vehicles are not built for winter weather. Water lines that supply the campers can freeze up and the temperature inside can match the temperature outside.

The Forest Service extended permitless wood collection into 2026 because downed trees still pose a fire risk.

After months of uncertainty over the fate of hundreds of homes, FEMA greenlit a small batch of properties for acquisition in Buncombe and Henderson County.

The projects were among those highlighted Monday at the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority’s Year Ahead event.

The town expects the wave to officially open this summer and is hoping for a boom in new tourist dollars.