Cooper Asks For Additional $5 Billion In Florence Relief

Governor Roy Cooper is looking to secure another $5 billion in federal funds for Hurricane Florence recovery efforts. Cooper says the state needs to build up resilience before the next major storm strikes.

The governor made his request while in Washington meeting with North Carolina's congressional delegation.

The News and Observer reports that Congress has already appropriated $1 billion for Florence recovery, but Cooper's office estimates that the storm brought $17 billion in damages to the state. That's on top of the devastation from Hurricane Matthew in 2016.

Cooper says that following two major hurricanes in less than two years, the state needs to “build back smarter and stronger.”

The governor says some of the aid will go to helping with infrastructure, housing and relief for farmers.

While in the nation's capital, Cooper also met with Housing and Urban Development secretary Ben Carson. The governor wants a change in federal law to allow HUD block grants to be awarded for both recoveries at one time, speeding up the process.