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Asheville exhibit features photos found in wake of Helene
BURNSVILLE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — It was a day of mixed emotions in Burnsville one year after Hurricane Helene hit western North Carolina. The devastation remains on the mind of locals like Claudia Honeycutt.
“So many of our business owners on the street lost their home or you know, and that was a lot and then you have to decide are you going to work and try and make a little bit of money or are you going to fix your house,” said Honeycutt.
North Carolina Governor Josh Stein was in town to mark the anniversary, meeting with shop owners like Honeycutt and the Matelskis, who were able to keep their doors open thanks to aid like small business grants.
“Small businesses, retail, it’s about cash flow. And we had nothing coming in at the time, so the grant definitely gave us a great cushion,” said Dennis Matelski.
Stein’s visit came about two weeks after he requested an additional $13.5 billion in federal relief, and Stein told Queen City News that it is unclear when or if leaders in Washington will provide that funding.
“I’m grateful for every dollar we’ve gotten from the federal government. But at the end of the day, it’s just not enough,” said Stein.
The request comes at a difficult time in DC as the government is once again in danger of shutting down because of Congress’s inability to agree on a budget. Stein, though, remains hopeful he can sway lawmakers to prioritize western North Carolina.
“What I want is if not in this continuing resolution, but the next one, for there to be a new disaster package to really reflect the extent of the damage the people of western North Carolina experienced so that we can help accelerate this recovery,” he added.
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