Madison County, tucked in the mountains of western North Carolina, has no hospital and just three ambulances serving its roughly 22,000 people.
When President Trump returned to office in January 2025, he made Whatley ‘recovery czar’ to coordinate Hurricane Helene recovery. To date, a fraction of the funding needed has made it to western NC.
This Saturday—Sept. 27, 2025—marks one year since Hurricane Helene flooded Western North Carolina with five months of rain in just three days.
This week’s Good News Friday features an inspiring story from western North Carolina, where residents helped to rebuild a Marshall church after Helene.
North Carolina has opened up applications for its home repair and reconstruction program after Helene devastated western North Carolina in 2024.
In Marshall, a small town in western North Carolina, the community stands together as they rebuild their businesses and homes.
Last fall, communities across western North Carolina were devastated by Hurricane Helene. A year later, the town of Marshall has reopened and is forging a path forward.
Nearly two years after Helene devastated their communities, Gov. Josh Stein and western NC leaders are calling for more federal support to complete the $60 billion recovery.
“We’ve got to get costs down for folks.” Jamie Ager, a Democrat running in North Carolina’s 11th Congressional district says costs are up across the board, and it’s impacting his community in western North Carolina.
Most importantly, proposed Helene relief programs in western NC require much more funding than is currently available.
