Warren Wilson College announced on Oct. 4, it will receive $1.5 million in Hurricane Helene recovery funds through the state legislature’s recent passage of House Bill 358.
The announcement comes months after Warren Wilson was omitted from the final version of the Disaster Recovery Act of 2025—Part II in June, a decision that stunned the college’s president, Damián Fernández.
Since then, Fernández advocated on Warren Wilson’s behalf by communicating with elected officials and inviting both Republicans and Democratic state senators to tour the campus in August.
“ This was a bipartisan approach that the college took, and it was a bipartisan effort that got us to the finish line,” Fernández said. “We appreciate the fact that so many of our (elected) leaders heard our story and responded appropriately to address our needs.”
Located in hard-hit Swannanoa, the college’s officials claim to have sustained over $12 million in damages due to Helene last year. The storm damaged 50% of its buildings after the Swannanoa River crested at 26.1 feet, according to the Carolina Public Press.
When the House Appropriations Committee introduced the bill in May, the college was slated to receive $1.5 million. The bill passed unanimously after a vote on the House floor in June but when the bill made its way to the state Senate, all higher education institutions were removed, according to the Carolina Public Press.
A temporary joint committee made up of four republican senators and four republican representatives, met to settle differences in the bill. The final outcome was the inclusion of six private schools and three UNC system schools, but Warren Wilson was still left out.
BPR reached out to Republican Sen. Warren Daniel, who represents Buncombe, Burke, and McDowell counties, as to why the college was left out of the final version of the bill but did not hear back in time for time publication.
“ It was of course extremely frustrating that the money was left out,” Rep. Lindsey Prather (D-Buncombe County) told BPR in an interview. “I'm glad that has been resolved. That wrong has been righted. My constituents in the area were very confused as to why Warren wasn't included in the first place. It was clear to all of us that live here that the college was hit very hard.”
With the passage of the bill , the college will use the allocated funds to continue Helene cleanup, rebuild fencing, and make buildings more resilient for the future.
“ We want to make sure that the next time around we're in a better position to withstand what nature can bring our way,” Fernández said.
