The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission is providing updates on measures to maximize trout stream stocking in the western part of the state after Hurricane Helene destroyed the Bobby N. Setzer State Fish Hatchery in September 2024. 

In 2025, the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality supported communities recovering from Hurricane Helene, took actions to address PFAS contamination and continued to protect the state’s natural resources for the health and prosperity of all North Carolinians, according to a lengthy DEQ press release. 

The monumental task of helping communities recover from Helene, while rebuilding in a way that makes them more resilient to future storms, played a central role in the department’s actions last year.  

Nearly 15 months after Hurricane Helene tore through rural Appalachia, North Carolina recovery officials said in a Dec. 15 meeting and press conference that federal recovery programs meant to help communities rebuild after $60 billion in damages are still slowing them down. 

Michael Whatley, appointed by President Donald Trump as Helene recovery czar in January, has spoken to the head of the governor’s recovery task force only once this year. 

Gov. Josh Stein announced $6 million in grants from the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Flood Resiliency Blueprint program to help reduce flood risks across the state. The announcement includes projects to restore the French Broad River Basin after western North Carolina experienced catastrophic flooding from Hurricane Helene last fall.

As the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Helene’s arrival in Western North Carolina approaches, two faculty members in Western Carolina University’s College of Business served as project managers for an in-depth study of storm damage to the North Carolina Arboretum in an effort to develop a plan for its recovery. 

As anger grows over the slow pace of federal recovery funding for Hurricane Helene and Republicans in charge of recovery continue to scramble for political cover, a spokesperson for Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-Henderson) delivered a long list of false claims relating to Edwards’ role in procuring the help — or not procuring the help — Western North Carolina still so desperately needs. 

Scenic Chimney Rock has historically been an out-of-the-way place, nestled tightly against the Broad River in a narrow valley between lush, towering peaks that peer down at nearby Lake Lure. It’s always been difficult to get there — especially now, with most roads still closed 11 months after Hurricane Helene — but you’ll know you’re heading in the right direction up Highway 9 by the near-ceaseless stream of dump trucks coming down and out. 

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Dam Safety Program, with help from Applied Weather Associates, is releasing the state’s first Probable Maximum Precipitation (PMP) study and evaluation tool, which is designed to better prepare for future storms and their possible impact on dams in the state. 

To the Editor:

I was finally able to get through the travel hazards back to Western North Carolina six days after Helene’s historic fury had torn through our region devastating roadways, major infrastructure, entire communities and thousands of lives.

Water washes us clean, helps to cook our food and quenches our thirst. Water grows our crops, cools the air and brings the flowers in April and May. Not enough water leads to drought and fire.