Earlier this year, the North Carolina legislature appropriated moneys to fund two grant programs that support the ongoing Helene recovery efforts:
- Disaster Relief and Mitigation Grant Program (applications due November 28, 2025, at 5:00 p.m.)
- Helene Local Government Capital Grant Program (applications due November 21, 2025)
This post outlines the program requirements for each of these grant programs. But first, I want to announce NEW weekly Helene disaster recovery office hours. These sessions will focus specifically on Helene disaster recovery funding and resources and will include representatives from multiple organizations, including GROW NC, NC Commerce, the UNC School of Government, the NC Association of County Commissioners, and NC League of Municipalities, and the following Councils of Government: High Country, Land of Sky, Southwestern Commission, Foothills, Western Piedmont, and Centralina. Bring your questions and join the conversation!
Disaster Recovery Office Hours weekly @ 3:00 P.M.
- Tuesday, October 21
- Tuesday, October 28
- Tuesday, November 4
- Monday, November 10 (on Monday this week b/c of Veteran’s Day)
- Tuesday, November 18
- Tuesday, November 25
Join Zoom Meeting
https://unc.zoom.us/j/91003839189
Meeting ID: 910 0383 9189
Disaster Relief and Mitigation Grant Program
In June, the legislature appropriated $20 million to the Disaster Relief and Mitigation Fund (DRMF) to support the Hurricane Helene Flood Mitigation Grant Program. (S.L. 2025-26, 2A.3.(a)(7)(d)). This program, administered by North Carolina Emergency Management (NCEM), provides an opportunity for communities to invest in mitigation strategies to build a safer, more resilient North Carolina.
Eligible Applicants: Local governments and nonprofit organizations are eligible applicants for this program. Applications are due at 5:00 p.m. on November 28, 2025.
Eligible projects: Eligible project categories include:
- Flood mitigation projects (both structural and nonstructural), and
- Engineering assistance grants (for local governments only) to identify and design shovel-ready projects related to flood mitigation.
Projects may include but are not limited to:
- construction of or improvements to stormwater or drainage infrastructure
- transportation infrastructure resilience against natural disasters,
- engineering expenses related to flood mitigation projects,
- elevation or relocation of at-risk public infrastructure,
- hardening of critical facilities, retrofitting culverts or bridges, or
- installing flood notification systems.
Funding Availability: The initial funding is anticipated to be approximately $20 million, $15 million of which will be targeted at applicants in the Helene-impacted areas. Grants are capped at $2 million per recipient and $4 million total per county. Projects may be funded 100% (there is no local match required).
Application Process: Eligible applicants must submit projects to the NCEM Long-Term Recovery Group, which will convene a review panel to score proposals. Awards will be made on a reimbursement basis, and the period of performance is up to 36 months from the date of the recipient’s award. For application instructions and additional information, see: Notice of Funding Opportunity: Disaster Relief and Mitigation Fund 2025
NCEM will host an informational webinar on October 17, 10:00AM-12:00PM.
Helene Local Government Capital Grant Program
The Helene Local Government Capital Grant Program, administered by the North Carolina Office of State Budget and Management (OSBM), makes available nearly $50 million to fund capital projects that were denied FEMA Public Assistance (FEMA PA). (S.L. 2025-26). The deadline to submit an application is November 21, 2025.
Eligible Applicants: Eligibility is limited to local government and federally recognized tribes within FEMA-designated disaster areas for Hurricane Helene. Specifically, priority will be given to local governments and tribes with populations of 300,000 or fewer, based on the 2023 Certified County Population Estimates from the State Demographer.
Eligible Projects: Grant funds shall be used for capital projects to repair, renovate, or replace infrastructure damaged by Hurricane Helene. For a project to qualify, the project must not be eligible for FEMA Public Assistance reimbursement. (S.L. 2025-97 modified initial eligibility requirements which required a full or partial denial for FEMA PA.) Either the applicant must have submitted the project for FEMA PA and received some form of denial—either full or partial, or the project may not have been submitted for FEMA reimbursement. For projects that received a partial denial, only the costs and specific elements that were denied FEMA PA will be eligible under this program.
For example, if a local government submitted a bridge replacement project to FEMA PA, and received funding to replace the structure, but was denied coverage for design upgrades, the unit could apply for funding to cover the unfunded upgrade.
Funding Availability: Awards will be made based on the maximum amounts set in the program statute, as follows:
- No more than twenty percent (20%) to one county, including grants to units of local government within that county. (up to $9,950,000)
- Five percent (5%) per eligible recipient. ($2,487,500)
- Five percent (5%) per zip code if that zip code only qualifies for FEMA Public Assistance Categories A through B. ($2,487,500)
Because there are statutory caps on award amounts, all applications will be reviewed after the application deadline (not on a rolling basis). Applicants must submit estimated project costs and requested amounts in the application. Again, the application deadline is November 21, 2025.
OSBM is hosting informational webinars on October 15, 22, and 29 at 11:00 am. Those interested must first register online. (There is also a recording available.)
Applications may be submitted to OSBM. These additional resources will be helpful in preparing to submit an application.
