RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina legislators completed an initial $273 million relief package on Wednesday to help spur recovery from Hurricane Helene, describing it as a down payment on aid and a way to help hard-hit counties gain more flexibility in holding elections already underway.
The legislation, which was approved unanimously in the House and Senate, comes less than two weeks after the catastrophic flooding from the storm’s historic rainfall in the North Carolina mountains. Over half of the 237 confirmed Helene-related deaths in Southeastern states in Helene’s path occurred in North Carolina, a presidential battleground state where absentee voting has already begun. Tens of thousands of people in the region remain without power and some, including residents of Asheville, still lack running water.
The voice of legislators from the devasted region cracked with emotion when talking about the heavy blow dealt by Helene. “I want to thank you for putting your first seeds into the ground,” said Sen. Ralph Hise, a Republican from Mitchell County, where he said the local water system is “unsalvageable” and otherwise would take years to replace.
“We’ve never seen devastation like this before.” Republican legislative leaders who helped craft the measure with input from Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s administration and election officials emphasized repeatedly that more legislation and funds would come soon.
Lawmakers have also agreed to return Oct. 24 for m.
