Governor Josh Stein unveiled a long-term economic recovery plan for western North Carolina on Wednesday, designed to rebuild the region's economy nearly two years after Hurricane Helene. The Western North Carolina Economic Recovery Plan was developed with input from 28 counties, the Qualla Boundary, five regional councils of government, chambers of commerce, and economic development organizations.
The plan's nine lines of effort include infrastructure, natural resources, economic development and entrepreneurship, housing, education and workforce development, healthcare, and arts, culture and tourism, each with a designated lead and targets for five and ten years, according to the state.
The planning comes as western North Carolina faces longstanding economic challenges. Over the prior three decades, North Carolina lost more than 40% of its manufacturing jobs, with western counties hit particularly hard. Since Hurricane Helene, the region's labor force shrank by more than 16,000 people from April 2023 through April 2026, while the state's overall population grew, according to the North Carolina Department of Commerce.
Several recovery initiatives are already underway. A $29.2 million U.S. Economic Development Administration grant is funding the Western North Carolina Futures Factory, a workforce facility in Buncombe County. The state broke ground in April on a $1.8 billion Interstate 26 Connector project, and Good Jobs WNC—an 11-college, 23-county workforce initiative—is targeting roughly 1,200 jobs. The region's creative economy sector, which generated more than $3 billion in sales and supported nearly 35,000 jobs in 2025, was recently named by Etsy and the Center for Craft as one of five regional craft ecosystems in the nation.
Governor Stein said the state has delivered more than $2.4 billion in state recovery funding from six relief packages through June 30, 2026, with an additional $706.1 million in the state budget signed in July. The governor has called on Washington for more than $10 billion in additional federal funding to rebuild housing, strengthen infrastructure, and support small businesses.
Through Renew NC and volunteer organizations, more than 1,250 homes have been repaired or rebuilt. Nearly 16.5 million cubic yards of debris have been cleared, 99% of drinking water systems have been restored, and 99% of impacted state roads have reopened. The plan will be presented to the Governor's Advisory Committee on Western North Carolina Recovery on Friday, September 25, at Mars Hill University.