Bipartisan Governors Urge President Trump, Congressional Leaders to Finalize Relief for States Hit Hard by Disasters | Eastern North Carolina Now

Press Release:

Read the Letter HERE
    RALEIGH: In the wake of devastating natural disasters across the United States, Governor Roy Cooper and bipartisan governors from nine additional states urged President Donald Trump and Congressional leaders to finalize federal disaster relief.

    "We appreciate that preliminary disaster packages have advanced in both chambers," the governors wrote. "These are indeed encouraging signs, but after months of debate and continuing significant events driving widespread unmet needs for these states and communities even higher, now is the time to bring these efforts together in a final form and to bring national resources to bear where needed."

    In recent months, historic federally-declared natural disasters have crippled communities in the Southeast, Midwest, West, Caribbean, Pacific islands and along the Gulf coast, impacting homeowners, businesses, farmers and our military. While disaster relief funding packages have moved forward in both chambers of Congress, they remain unfinalized and communities continue to go without the federal relief they need. As another hurricane season approaches, this funding will be vital to North Carolina's long-term recovery.

    Today's letter is the latest in a series of ongoing efforts by Gov. Cooper to help North Carolina rebuild from natural disasters like Hurricanes Florence and Matthew smarter and stronger. Since Hurricane Florence struck in September, North Carolinians have received more than $1 billion in state and federal help to recover and Gov. Cooper continues to work to get additional funding to those who need it.

    In the wake of Hurricane Florence, Gov. Cooper requested an additional $6.3 billion in relief that should be funded from federal programs. Late last year, Gov. Cooper established the North Carolina Office of Recovery and Resiliency (NCORR) to help draw down and disburse relief funding to communities hit hard by disasters. Gov. Cooper's latest budget also proposed $1.5 million for statewide search and rescue teams and $250,000 for the North Carolina 2-1-1 network.

• Contact: Ford Porter
•     govpress@nc.gov