The U.S. Department of Labor has allocated an additional $4 million to North Carolina for disaster-relief jobs and training following the impact of Hurricane Helene. This funding aims to assist residents affected by the severe flooding in September 2024, which was the worst in a century.
Initially, in October 2024, the department's Employment and Training Administration granted up to $10 million through a National Dislocated Worker Grant to the North Carolina Department of Commerce’s Division of Workforce Solutions. An initial $2 million was awarded to support cleanup and recovery efforts across 38 counties eligible for FEMA’s Public Assistance Program. These counties include Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Cherokee, Clay, Cleveland, Davidson, Davie, Forsyth, Gaston, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Iredell, Jackson, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mecklenburg, Mitchell, Polk, Rowan, Rutherford, Stanly [https://www.fema.gov/assistance/public], Surry [https://www.fema.gov/assistance/public], Swain [https://www.fema.gov/assistance/public], Transylvania [https://www.fema.gov/assistance/public], Union [https://www.fema.gov/assistance/public], Watauga [https://www.fema.gov/assistance/public], Wilkes [https://www.fema.gov/assistance/public], Yadkin [https://www.fema.gov/assistance/public] and Yancey as well as the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
In April 2025, a second incremental award of $4 million was announced. The Disaster Recovery National Dislocated Worker Grant enables the Division of Workforce Solutions to provide temporary jobs for cleanup and recovery while offering employment and training services to those affected by the storm. These grants are supported by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014 and address workforce needs that surpass available resources during major economic dislocation events.
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