The latest round of federal funding — $29 million — is on its way from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to Western North Carolina to reimburse cities, towns and state agencies for Hurricane Helene recovery projects.
The biggest portion of the funds, $7.7 million dollars, is going toward rebuilding the Muni, the municipal golf course in East Asheville.
“I am grateful for Secretary Noem working with me to more regularly approve reimbursements for Helene and past disaster recovery projects,” U.S. Sen. Ted Budd (R-N.C.) said in a statement Friday, referring to U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
News of the funding’s release comes one day after Budd and U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) released their holds on some of President Trump’s Homeland Security nominees. The senators had blocked the nominations from moving forward until they received assurances from DHS that it would do more to support the region’s recovery from Helene.
“While I have released my holds on DHS nominees, I will continue to engage all relevant federal agencies to make sure Western North Carolina receives the focus and attention it deserves, particularly the final distribution of funds to the municipalities and state agencies in desperate need of financial relief,” Budd said.
Damage to Asheville’s municipal golf course was estimated at about $7 million shortly after the storm, according to the Asheville Citizen-Times.
The back nine holes of the course were spared from the worst of Helene’s destruction and reopened shortly after the storm. But the front nine holes were heavily damaged as the nearby Swannanoa River overran its banks and tore through the course.
Since the summer, the damaged area has been repurposed into a temporary disc golf course. The restoration project is currently in the design phase, which is expected to last until late next year.
Another top recipient of the funds is the North Carolina Department of Transportation, which is receiving a total of about $7.4 million. That funding will go toward repairing state roads in Avery, McDowell, Caldwell and Buncombe counties, as well as to supporting alternative procedures for debris removal.
In addition, a large portion of the FEMA funds, about $4 million, will go toward rebuilding Catawba Meadows Park in Morganton. The 230-acre park and its facilities were hard hit by Helene. Although much of the park reopened in the summer, construction is still underway in several sections, and the City of Morganton has been awaiting reimbursement by FEMA.
The full list of recipients of the latest round of FEMA funding is below:
- $7,767,510 to the City of Asheville for repairs to the the Municipal Golf Course
- $4,063,203 to the City of Morganton for repairs to Catawba Meadows Park
- $2,099,655 to the North Carolina Department of Transportation for repairs to Blevins Creek Road in Avery County
- $1,753,824 to Avery County for repairs to the Senior Center Building and its contents
- $1,703,026 to Avery County for repairs to the Administrative Building and its contents
- $1,631,919 to the Town of Beech Mountain for emergency support
- $1,617,511 to the City of Asheville for emergency support
- $1,608,142 to the North Carolina Department of Transportation for repairs to State Road 1407 in McDowell County
- $1,352,862 to the City of Asheville for repairs to the Bee Tree Dam
- $1,319,662 to the North Carolina Department of Transportation for repairs to State Roads 2533, 2546, 2553, 2563, 2573, 2577, 2581, 2582, 2700, 2702, 2705, 2706, 2712, 2713, 2714, 2715, 2717, and 2724 in Buncombe County
- $1,305,204 to the North Carolina Department of Transportation for alternative procedures debris removal
- $1,287,464 to the Town of Spruce Pine for repairs to its water distribution system
- $1,104,317 to the North Carolina Department of Transportation for repairs to State Roads 1362, 1363, 1366, 1367, 1368, and 1369 in Caldwell County
- $1,055,589 to North Carolina Emergency Management for emergency support
