North Carolina Governor Josh Stein said he will continue to use every resource at his disposal to ensure residents affected by Hurricane Helene stay warm, as winter storms sweep across the state, affecting potentially power grids and other critical infrastructure impacted by the previous storm.
Temporary housing assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will end Saturday for thousands of North Carolina residents, some of whom face freezing temperatures this weekend in the Appalachian region.
“At our request, FEMA has extended temporary shelter assistance through Tuesday in light of the winter storm hitting Western North Carolina,” Stein’s office confirmed to FOX Business.
Workers, community members and business owners clean up debris in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene in Marshall, North Carolina, September 30, 2024. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Americans are spending Thanksgiving in tents as heat, electricity and food are still hard to come by
The Transitional Sheltering Assistance (TSA) program, which cannot be applied for and was only granted to survivors identified by FEMA starting in October, was scheduled to end Friday, then pushed back to Saturday.
Local FEMA disaster recovery centers will be closed through Monday, “due to winter weather.”
“I will continue to use every resource at my disposal to get people into a safe, warm shelter,” said Gov. Josh Stein.
North Carolinians began receiving letters on Jan. 3 informing them that their hotel or motel rooms would no longer be covered, Fox News Digital reported. When eligibility ends, they receive one week’s notice to proceed with departure.
HUNDREDS OF HOUSES EXPECTED TO BURN IN FOREST FIRES
Thousands of Hurricane Helene survivors continue to benefit from the program in western North Carolina following the September storm.
Heavy rains from Hurricane Helene caused record flooding and damage on September 28, 2024 in Asheville, North Carolina. (Melissa Sue Gerrits/Getty Images)
According to FEMA, there are currently 5,600 households registered in hotels.
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The agency said those with questions about eligibility should contact the FEMA hotline at 1-800-621-3362.
Audrey Conklin and Brooke Singman of Fox News Digital contributed to this article.
