New NC Governor Acts on Hurricane-Damaged Roads, Bridges
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In one of his first acts as North Carolina’s new leader, Gov. Josh Stein on Jan. 2 signed an executive order to complete repairs on 8,000 roads and bridges that sustained damage during Hurricane Helene, which hurtled through the state in September and caused $59.6 billion in damages.
“If left unrepaired, these private roads and bridges pose a substantial risk to public safety and welfare, including preventing repairs to private residences, and repairing these private roads and bridges will immediately relieve human suffering,” the order stated. In many cases the damaged infrastructure provides the only access routes for ambulances, fire trucks, mail and parcel delivery vehicles, school buses and personal vehicles to reach homes.
Stein said, “I will do everything in my power to make sure we are both thinking creatively and acting swiftly to help our neighbors recover.”
Effective through Feb. 28, the order waives state procurement regulations to accelerate repairs. Specifically, the order removes red tape between different state agencies such as the North Carolina Department of Transportation and others in approving vendors for state contracts. It also waives state rules for formal/informal bidding procedures and advertising notices.
Today, I took action to help the people of western North Carolina after Hurricane Helene’s devastation. These five executive orders represent our first steps to get people the relief they need as quickly as possible. My team and I will bring urgency, focus, transparency, and… pic.twitter.com/QJZidiggC9 — Governor Josh Stein (@NC_Governor) January 2, 2025
That said, in procuring vendors to complete the infrastructure repairs, state officials are required to comply with “all applicable Federal Emergency Management Agency and federal regulations to make all reasonable efforts to obtain the highest quality services at the best price to the state,” the order declared.
The governor also directed a limited waiver of North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality inspections and permitting to avoid delays for road and bridge repairs.
Hurricane Helene Damage
Impacting 5,000 miles of state-maintained roads and interstates, the hurricane damaged or destroyed:
- 713 culverts
- Sewage and water in communities and 44 emergency response facilities
- 6,900 road and bridge sites
- 73,000 homes
Since some construction involves private property, the order also directs the state to develop standards for property owners to prove ownership, with such evidence as a recent property tax bill, mortgage documents, homeowners’ insurance documents, will or ownership affidavit, home purchase contracts, and receipts for major repairs/maintenance.
A Dec. 13 report “Hurricane Helene Recovery — Revised Damage and Needs Assessment” issued by former Gov. Roy Cooper spanned 133 pages and upped the October damage cost by $6 billion to $59.6 billion. This new amount includes $44.4 billion in direct damage, $9.4 billion of indirect /induced damage and $5.8 billion of new potential hurricane mitigation investments.
The report projected the state’s transportation sector damage repair needs at $9 billion, of which $2 billion was unfunded from either state or federal dollars.
“Helene is one of the deadliest U.S. storms of the 21st century, with over 100 confirmed deaths in North Carolina,” it added. “The rain swelled streams and rivers — many of which were already in flood stage — to record highs, producing 1,000-year flood events in several counties.”
“Private roads make up almost half of all roads in the region — more than 7,000 private roads, bridges and culverts have been damaged,” the report noted. “While FEMA has already approved funding for over 3,000 minor repairs, significant support will be needed for larger repair and replacement projects. The unique nature of the mountainous terrain in western North Carolina presents additional challenges requiring specialized approaches to road and bridge repair.”
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