FOX Weather Correspondents Robert Ray and Brandy Campbell walk down Main Street in Chimney Rock, North Carolina, one month after Hurricane Helene devastated the region and reflect on the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, the disaster that was Hurricane Helene, and the resilience of the community.
RALEIGH, N.C. – North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper announced Wednesday that the damage estimates from Hurricane Helene are the largest in state history.
According to Cooper, the initial damage estimates are at $53 billion – about three times the estimates from Hurricane Florence, which hit North Carolina in 2018.
This figure puts Hurricane Helene as the 10th-costliest weather disaster in the U.S. since 1980, according to NOAA. The current estimate only includes damages in North Carolina, so Helene, which devastated parts of multiple states in the Southeast, will likely rank higher.
Destroyed homes are seen in Chimney Rock, North Carolina, October 2, 2024, after the passage of Hurricane Helene.
(ALLISON JOYCE/AFP / Getty Images)
Cooper said he has recommended an initial $3.9 billion package to start rebuilding efforts, particularly involving critical infrastructure, homes, businesses, farms and schools in North Carolina damaged by Helene.
“Helene is the deadliest and most damaging storm ever to hit North Carolina,” Cooper said. “This storm left a trail of destruction in our beautiful mountains that we will not soon forget, but I know the people of Western North Carolina are determined to build back better than ever. These initial funds are a good start, but the staggering amount of damage shows we are very much on the front end of this recovery effort.”
A van is partially submerged in the Swannanoa River in the Biltmore Village in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene on September 29, 2024 in Asheville, North Carolina. According to reports, more than 60 people have been killed across the South due to the storm, and millions have been left without power. North Carolina has been approved for a Federal Major Disaster Declaration. (Photo by Sean Rayford/Getty Images)
(Sean Rayford / Getty Images)
Here is a breakdown of part of the $3.9 billion budget from Gov. Cooper:
- $650 million to address economic losses and damages to businesses and non-profits outside of the agriculture industry.
- $650 million to address damage to housing and cost of housing assistance.
- $578 million to address damage to infrastructure, such as utilities and dams.
- $55 million to address damage to state-maintained roads, along with any state revenue implications their damage might cost.
- $422 million to address damage and economic disruption of agricultural businesses.
- $420 million for those still recovering from Tropical Storm Debby and other recent natural disasters.
At least 97 people were killed by Helene in North Carolina. The storm killed at least 225 people across the Southeast U.S.