Helene-hit farmers are still scrounging for recovery funds six months on

Relief groups in Western North Carolina say state and federal dollars have been slow to arrive after the storm dealt the state nearly $5 billion in agricultural losses.

Farms in western North Carolina have been scraping by with help from nonprofit groups more than six months after Hurricane Helene’s floodwaters receded.

Much of the region’s agriculture is nestled in valleys where streams and rivers run between mountain peaks. That proximity to water proved devastating for local farmers — who produce everything from fruits and vegetables to pasture-raised beef and even Christmas trees — when the powerful storm swept through in late September. Many still haven’t fully restored operations, said state Rep. Eric Ager, a Democrat who represents a district that includes parts of Buncombe County south of Asheville, including hard-hit Swannanoa.

“I think we’re going to see a real economic downturn from this, which is inevitable, and we need more support,” he said.

State lawmakers passed a $500 aid package last month that includes about $200 million for agricultural crop losses and repairs. The U.S. Agriculture Department told NBC News in March that it had dispersed nearly $30 million for certain needs like debris removal, fence repair and specialty crops.

Democratic Gov. Josh Stein has pushed for more. He sent a letter in February asking the Trump administration and Congress for $19 billion in additional federal aid, estimating that the state suffered nearly $60 billion in damages, including $4.9 billion in its agriculture sector.

https://www.nbcnews.com/business/economy/hurricane-helene-recovery-farmers-north-carolina-rcna201255

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