North Carolina Governor Josh Stein said he will continue to use all available resources to ensure residents affected by Hurricane Helene stay warm, as winter storms continue to batter the state – which could affect the power grid and other critical infrastructure affected by the first storm.
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) temporary housing assistance will end Saturday for thousands of North Carolina residents, some of whom are facing freezing temperatures this weekend in the Appalachian Mountain region.
“At our request, FEMA has extended temporary shelter assistance until Tuesday due to the winter storm affecting western North Carolina,” Stein's office confirmed to FOX Business.
Workers, the public, and business owners clean up debris after Hurricane Helene in Marshall, NC, on September 30, 2024. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
AMERICANS USE THANKSGIVING FOR THINGS LIKE HEAT, ELECTRICITY, FOOD BEFORE GETTING IT HARD.
The Transitional Sheltering Assistance (TSA) program, which cannot be applied for and was given only to survivors designated by FEMA starting in October, was scheduled to end on Friday and was later pushed back to Saturday.
FEMA local disaster relief centers will be closed until Monday, “due to winter weather.”
“I will continue to use all the resources at my disposal to get people to a safe and warm place,” said Gov. Josh Stein.
North Carolinians began receiving letters on Jan. 3 notifying them that their hotel or motel rooms will no longer be covered, Fox News Digital reported. When eligibility expires, they are given a week's notice to check.
THOUSANDS OF HOUSES ARE EXPECTED TO BURN IN WILDFIRES
Thousands of Survivors of Hurricane Helene continue to support the program in western North Carolina, after the September storm.
Heavy rains from Hurricane Helene caused flooding and record damage on September 28, 2024, in Asheville, NC. (Melissa Sue Gerrits/Getty Images)
There are currently 5,600 households I checked into hotelsaccording to FEMA.
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The agency says those with questions about eligibility should contact FEMA's helpline at 1-800-621-3362.
Audrey Conklin and Brooke Singman of Fox News Digital contributed to this article.