Haywood County commissioners on a unanimous vote approved a not-to-exceed $16,000,000 amendment to cover a gap in waterway debris removal work tied to Tropical Storm Helene, county officials said. The amendment funds cleanup performed by SDR for a period in April and May before the state assumed broader debris contracts.

County officials said the work is part of a larger recovery effort and that the county expects reimbursement from FEMA but cannot guarantee it. "We're trusting FEMA to reimburse us on these funds," Deputy County Manager Chris Boyd said during the meeting. Boyd and other staff described ongoing field work and submitted FEMA packages supporting the estimates.

The board approved adding $11,000,000 from fiscal-year 2026 fund balance to reach the $16,000,000 figure, to bridge the time between the county’s initial action and when the state (via North Carolina Emergency Management's program) took over portions of the waterway and private-property debris programs. Boyd said the estimate rose quickly and the change was made to avoid leaving the county with the full cost burden.

County staff reported progress and scale: as of the prior week crews had removed debris from roughly 900,000 linear feet of waterway, producing about 82,000 cubic yards of vegetative debris, with an overall estimate of 1.25 to 1.5 million cubic yards still possible. Boyd said crews had been working seven days a week and that the county hoped to finish waterway removal by late September if no new storms hit.

Commissioners noted the magnitude of repeated flood events, with one commissioner saying the county had seen four major flood events in about 20 years. Commissioner remarks emphasized the urgency of cleanup and the county’s reliance on reimbursement. Staff clarified this amendment covers the emergency waterway debris removal only and does not include longer-term EWP (Emergency Watershed Protection) work, which remains a separate, as-yet-unfunded program.

The motion to approve the added appropriation and not-to-exceed figure passed unanimously. Commissioners and staff said they will continue to pursue federal and state reimbursement and to monitor ongoing work by SDR and coordinating agencies.