Governor’s Advisory Committee for WNC Recovery holds meeting at WCU
Governor's Advisory Committee members from left co-chair Esther Manheimer, mayor of Asheville; Sen. Kevin Corbin, co-chair, Gov. Josh Stein, Lee Lilley secretary, Department of Commerce and Stephanie McGarrah, deputy secretary, Department of Commerce. Donated photo
Nearly six months after Hurricane Helene ravaged Western North Carolina, the region's recovery efforts continue.
Gov. Josh Stein's advisory committee, formed to aid in the recovery, held its first in-person meeting Friday at Western Carolina University.
The committee, which first met virtually in February, is co-chaired by Sen. Kevin Corbin and Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer. It includes key regional stakeholders who provide expertise to advise Stein and the Governor’s Recovery Office on strategies to support affected communities.
Melissa Wargo, chief of staff at WCU, welcomed committee members on behalf of Chancellor Kelli R. Brown, who was abroad with WCU students and faculty.
The meeting featured updates from Matt Calabria, director of GROW NC, and presentations from the NC Division of Emergency Management, NC Department of Public Safety, NC Department of Transportation, WNC STRONG, FEMA and the Army Corps of Engineers South Atlantic Division.
Officials reported that the debris removed so far could stretch from Western North Carolina to Los Angeles and halfway back, underscoring the extensive cleanup still required. Visuals of the $60 billion in damage caused by Hurricane Helene were also shared.
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Following Stein’s remarks, Corbin outlined legislative requests and actions. The committee also heard from staff of sens. Ted Budd and Thom Tillis, and representatives from the Division of Community Revitalization, Department of Commerce, Telecommunications Infrastructure and Department of Information Technology.
The next meeting is scheduled for April 2025.
