Western NC Helene recovery remains unfinished two years later

Western North Carolina governments and public institutions continue to face incomplete projects, reimbursement delays, FEMA obligations, and closeout demands two years after Helene. Dam-repair awards, I-40 reconstruction, municipal emergency preparedness, persistent housing-repair barriers, and an audit finding $785 million in unreconciled ReBuild NC vendor payments keep recovery and resilience under scrutiny.