“The folks in Western North Carolina, a lot of them, don’t care about what we’re talking about today. What they care about is help—seeing somebody pull up in the driveway, get out, put a nail apron on, and a hammer and go to work.”
Joint Legislative Commission on Governmental Operations Hurricane Response and Recovery Subcommittee Co-Chair Rep. Karl Gillespie (R-Macon) boiled down over an hour’s worth of questions and testimony to a desire for tangible progress.
North Carolina Emergency Management (NCEM) Director Will Ray and Governor’s Recovery Office for Western North Carolina (GROW NC) Director Matt Calabria described the progress on debris removal and the steps underway to begin repairing and replacing damaged homes. They both emphasized how complicated federal agencies make it to achieve results. Calabria repeated his frequent disclaimer on the pace of work: “We can never move fast enough.”
Ray explained the different options for debris removal and the cost sharing requirements.
Although some county managers had raised concerns with legislators about the process, Ray emphasized that counties have been free to choose the option that works best for them.
Rep. Jake Johnson (R-Polk) gave examples of one pile of debris being picked up while another directly beside it is classified differently and is not. He described the inefficiency of such situations and how they are hinderances to reopening local businesses.
Gillespie and Rep. Stephen Ross (R-Alamance) addressed the environmental effects of waterway debris removal, some of which were highlighted in a recent Vox article. Ray told members that back in May, NCEM halted work “for a couple of days” to remind Army Corps of Engineers and state subcontractors of best practices and state and federal requirements. He recognized the frustration from going slow to respect the vulnerable ecosystem.
Calabria told members that the state has received only about six percent ($3.6 billion) of the estimated $60 billion storm impact from the federal government, a much smaller share than other storms this century. The General Assembly has appropriated $2 billion, some of which should be eligible for federal reimbursement.
“At the end of the day the real measure is what we’ve done to impact lives in Western North Carolina.”
Rep. Karl Gillespie
Rep. Mark Pless (R- Haywood) asked why no homes have been rebuilt with $121 million provided by the state while waiting on federal funding. He asked particularly what had been done with $81 million spent already. Calabria said the $81 million is obligated but not yet spent for Horne to manage the program. This contract was a key topic in the May subcommittee hearing. Calabria added that the state had already received 800 applications, had begun site assessments for those homes, and had lined up general contractors to lead construction efforts since April 25, when the federal government approved the state’s action plan for a $1.4 billion disaster recovery grant.
Sen. Tim Moffitt (R-Henderson) added private roads and bridges to the list of concerns. Ray reported that 3,000 requests for unique projects have been submitted, and a consulting firm is conducting assessments. Moffitt emphasized that Helene has been the only storm to hit a mountainous area. He asked, “Do you get a sense that FEMA understands that this is not an easy task, that this is going to be several years in the making?” Ray replied, “I think they’re starting to.”
Gillespie reminded Ray and Calabria that amidst the shared frustration of the slow speed of working with the federal government toward recovery, the subcommittee expects results: “It’s incumbent on you gentleman to make sure that the folks in Western North Carolina are taken care of.”
He defined success in tangible progress, stating, “While I appreciate, very much, all of your efforts, at the end of the day the real measure is what we’ve done to impact lives in Western North Carolina. How many bridges are built back? How many fields are put back together? How many homes have been built?”