(The Center Square) – Construction of a new 70,000-square-foot advanced manufacturing workforce and innovation hub with $29.2 million from a $34.2 million federal disaster recovery award will be executed by multiple universities, community colleges, and economic development entities in North Carolina.

The grant officially is awarded to Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College and Buncombe County. Another significant award announced Wednesday was for $2.1 million to the town of Murphy for the construction of a new sewer lift station to support local businesses.

The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration, led by Deputy Secretary of Commerce Paul Dabbar, made the announcement in Asheville.

“President Trump is delivering on his promise to rebuild southern communities impacted by hurricanes,” Dabbar said. “Today’s grant announcement in North Carolina invests in long-term economic growth and resiliency that will benefit generations in these communities. The Department of Commerce is committed to providing communities with the resources they need to recover from the economic impacts of natural disasters and encouraging public-private partnerships that drive economic growth.”

The Economic Development Administration bills itself as making “investments in economically distressed communities in order to create jobs for U.S. workers, promote American innovation, and accelerate long-term sustainable economic growth.”

Writing on social media, Republican U.S. Senate candidate Michael Whatley said in part, “Proud to have helped secure $34.2 million in economic development grants for western North Carolina, including $29.2 million for the construction of the Western Carolina Futures Factory.”

Whatley was tapped by second-term Republican President Donald Trump to coordinate recovery efforts when the president’s first trip after inauguration was to the North Carolina mountains to see devastation then 18 weeks old. His challenge included coordinating efforts of Congress, from whom Trump said money would come; FEMA, should it survive; the Small Business Administration within the U.S. Department of Commerce; the Recovery Office for Western North Carolina, known as GROW NC and Democratic Gov. Josh Stein’s creation; and the General Assembly of North Carolina.

Asheville and other parts of western North Carolina were cut off from the world on Sept. 28, 2024, with no roads open into or out of the most populous city in the region and electricity and cell towers limited or inoperable.

Success stories were numerous, including one just for communication.

State Sen. Danny Britt, R-Robeson, said he put in a call to former President Donald Trump so communications crushed by the remnants of Hurricane Helene could be restored quicker. Trump called Elon Musk, and “as many Starlink devices as we need to help save North Carolinians” were committed.

According to its website, Starlink “is the world’s first and largest satellite constellation using a low Earth orbit to deliver broadband internet capable of supporting streaming, online gaming, video calls and more.” Musk’s aerospace company SpaceX is the parent of the subsidiary that launched in 2019.

Communications companies, like Verizon and AT&T, dealt with cell towers that tumbled and fiber cables that are damaged.

Five other entities received awards between a quarter-million dollars and $1.2 million.

Western Carolina University and Cullowhee were awarded $1.2 million for infrastructure improvements of the WCU-Cullowhee Dam, to support the local recreational economy.

The Land of Sky Council of Governments, headquartered in Asheville, was awarded $500,000 for support in Madison, Buncombe and Henderson counties.

Western Piedmont Council of Governments, headquartered in Hickory, was awarded $500,000 for a regional disaster recovery coordinator position and to help communities impacted by the storm.

Centralina Economic Development Commission, based in Charlotte, received $400,000 to develop “strategic analysis and regional engagement strategy to determine major employers and critical facilities and to support their resilience to natural disasters.’

And in the Ashe County community of Jefferson, an award of $267,080 was made for design, engineering and permitting of three shell buildings at Ashe Industrial Park.

The storm made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane in Dekle Beach, Fla., on Sept. 26. It dissipated over the mountains of the state and Tennessee, dropping more than 30 inches in some places and over 24 consistently across more.

Helene, arguably the state’s worst natural disaster in history, killed 108 in the state, 237 in the South, and caused an estimated $60 billion to $80 billion in damage in North Carolina.

A congressional package of $110 billion passed in December 2024 included about $9 billion for the state. FEMA assistance grants and packages have eclipsed $1 billion.

The General Assembly’s appropriation grew to more than $2.8 billion through the fiscal year 2027 spending plan and five previous packages. Republicans have been in majorities of both chambers and leading the assistance signed into law by each of the last two governors in the state.