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Buncombe County staff outline 137 recovery subprojects and complex funding plan after Storm Helene
Summary
County staff told commissioners they have cataloged 137 subprojects across 31 draft recovery projects and are pursuing FEMA Public Assistance, Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) and CDBG‑DR funding; staff reported 56 FEMA PA projects identified with a mix of obligated, pending and in‑development items.
County recovery staff gave commissioners an overview of post‑storm recovery planning, funding strategy and current grant activity following Storm Helene. The presentation emphasized multiple funding pathways — FEMA Public Assistance (PA), Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) and Community Development Block Grant‑Disaster Recovery (CDBG‑DR) — and the administrative complexity of mixing funding sources.
Staff said the Helene recovery plan lists 31 draft projects that expand to roughly 137 subprojects once individual sites and components are separated. A grants work group has identified more than 130 potential funding sources and is matching projects to likely programs by award amount, priorities, and deadlines.
Jeremiah Laroy (presenter) and recovery staff described the three major funding tracks:
• FEMA Public Assistance (PA): Staff have identified 56 PA projects county‑wide. Of those, 19 projects were reported as submitted and obligated (approved) by FEMA for about $16.4 million, of which Buncombe County has received roughly $2.2 million. Another 16 projects were described as submitted and awaiting obligation (about $12.7 million), and 21 projects remain in development with preliminary estimated cost around $21 million, staff said. (Staff noted these figures may change as details are finalized.)
• Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP): Staff submitted many HMGP initial applications to the state by the first deadline, including advanced assistance requests for engineering and planning work and applications for mitigation projects. They described FEMA cost‑benefit requirements for HMGP projects and noted reserved set‑asides: 7% for planning and 5% initiative funds for projects that do not fit strict cost‑benefit formulas.
• Community Development Block Grant‑Disaster Recovery (CDBG‑DR): Staff summarized the state and city allocations to Western North Carolina (about $1.6 billion total for the region) and explained that CDBG‑DR is effectively a funding‑of‑last‑resort; projects must demonstrate non‑duplication of benefits, and the state will publish program manuals and notices of funding opportunity in the months ahead. Staff flagged potential competitive programs for multifamily housing construction, community infrastructure (local governments eligible), and commercial district revitalization.
Staff said applications require careful layering of funds — for example, a single site such as a park may involve insurance, PA, HMGP and CDBG‑DR requests, each with different reporting rules and timelines. Commissioners asked about using HMGP to fund resilient power and about potential CDBG‑DR support for commercial district revitalization in Swannanoa; staff said resilient power ("redundant power") is on the HMGP list and that CDBG‑DR commercial district guidance is still being finalized by the state.
No votes occurred; staff said additional submissions and follow‑up work will continue and invited commissioners to flag missing projects or potential additions before final HMGP submittals were completed.
