Helene recovery

Stein says 96 percent of water systems are back online, almost all state roads are open, and every state park has reopened at least partially.

Lansing was hit hard by the storm, with floodwaters from Big Horse Creek causing many Main Street businesses to shut down.

Local governments hit hardest by Hurricane Helene can now apply for state funding to repair or replace storm-damaged infrastructure.

The funds will cover up to 50 percent of any documented repair costs for bridges or private roads.

Officials from the Governor's Recovery Office for Western North Carolina and N.C. Emergency Management were speaking in front of a legislative hurricane recovery committee.

The stretch had been closed due to a landslide and debris from Helene.

Officials say crews will cover 150 miles of river in 25 counties over the next year and a half.

The state Senate's proposal, unveiled Monday, would bring the total dollar amount of funds the state has shifted to respond to the 2024 storm to more than $2 billion.