The need in western North Carolina remains immense — people need debris removed, homes rebuilt, and roads restored,” Gov. Josh Stein said.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has denied North Carolina’s request to extend the reimbursement period for Helene disaster relief.North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein said Friday afternoon he learned the agency refused his request to extend its 100% reimbursement period for another 180 days.

More than six months after the remnants of Hurricane Helene devastated much of western North Carolina, federal officials have ceased providing full funding for storm recovery efforts there.