North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein asked state legislators Monday to roughly double their spending so far on recovery from Hurricane Helene, warning that waiting will cause more business closings, housing construction delays and students falling behind.

North Carolina Governor Josh Stein is presenting a budget for recovery efforts after Hurricane Helene. He supports local businesses and affected residents with funding for rebuilding and addressing basic needs.

Months after Hurricane Helene ravaged western North Carolina, Governor Josh Stein requested $1.07 billion in immediate funding to support continued recovery efforts in affected areas on Monday morning.