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Transylvania County leaders map storm recovery as state relief package offers limited rental aid
Summary
At a Nov. 4 meeting, state and county officials outlined resources and gaps in recovery from Tropical Storm Helene: a state relief package includes a modest $1 million rental-assistance pot, while county staff reported $28 million estimated structural damage and ongoing housing, debris and FEMA coordination challenges.
County and state officials on Nov. 4 described the scale of recovery work after Tropical Storm Helene and urged residents to register with FEMA as part of the first steps toward aid.
Representative Mike Clampett, who spoke at the Transylvania County Board of Commissioners meeting, outlined the second state relief package and emphasized the need to preserve federal matching funds. "We don't want to jeopardize any federal dollars…if we approve too much money too quickly," he said, noting the package includes local-government support, emergency loans for water and wastewater infrastructure, funding for schools and a $1,000,000 allocation for rental assistance. Clampett said the bill ties into earlier House Bill 149 and Senate Bill 743 and that additional relief packages are expected.
County Manager provided operational updates and urged residents to register with FEMA and use local Disaster Recovery Centers. She reported county staff estimates "247 addresses that were damaged due to flood, landslide, or trees, and that totals over $28,000,000 in direct damages to structures." The manager also described limited hotel voucher availability—"At one point, we had no hotels in our community that were able to accept FEMA vouchers"—and local efforts to identify congregate housing sites for FEMA review.
The manager detailed emergency animal-response efforts and partner support: 83 animals (48 cats and 35 dogs) were transferred out of the county; the county shelter still houses 10 owned animals. Cooperative Extension delivered roughly $80,000 in supplies and hay to farmers, and staff continue to pursue debris-removal support, including a request to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Officials stressed a mismatch between federal formulas and local costs. The manager said Transylvania County has advocated for adjustments to HUD’s fair market rent methodology so FEMA and other programs better reflect local rental costs: "A two-bedroom in Transylvania County is $1,152," she said, and the county is pushing FEMA to consider higher payment rates to secure rental units.
The presentation prompted public speakers to press for more rental aid and criticise the level of state support. Sam Stites of Just Economics of Western North Carolina questioned the sufficiency of the state allocation for renters and urged county advocacy to secure more resources.
Next steps: county staff will continue coordinating with FEMA and state emergency management, submit potential congregate-housing sites for FEMA review, and track storm-related costs separately to maximize eligible reimbursements.
