North Carolina lawmakers will vote next week on an initial disaster relief package to help western counties impacted by Hurricane Helene, the state's top legislative Republicans said Friday.
The legislature will meet Wednesday in Raleigh. The session was previously scheduled, but the focus will now be on the disaster recovery efforts.
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"We are still working to determine what needs to be included in that legislation," House Speaker Tim Moore and Senate leader Phil Berger said in a joint statement.
The state has $4.75 billion in general savings reserves, often referred to as a "rainy day fund" as well as hundreds of millions more in various targeted savings reserves for emergency response.
Twenty-five counties in western North Carolina have received a major disaster declaration. There have been more than 48,000 registrations for disaster survivors, according to FEMA. At least 215 people have been confirmed dead across several southeastern states as a result of the storm.
"Our hearts are broken for the communities that have been ravaged by Hurricane Helene," the Republicans said. "Despite the destruction, it has been incredible to see how North Carolinians have stepped up to help. We cannot let up on those efforts or forget about the small communities that have been effectively closed off because of this storm."
North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction Catherine Truitt is working on a series of recommendations to the legislature, including funding to keep paying teachers and other school personnel and flexibility for remote learning or extension to the school calendar. She could request more than $100 million to help the Helene-impacted schools.
Six years ago after Hurricane Florence hit the eastern part of the state, lawmakers approved more than $450 million in relief funding.