RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina officials charged with leading recovery efforts in western North Carolina after Hurricane Helene — as well as parts of eastern North Carolina still struggling from previous hurricanes — told state lawmakers this week that they need more money. And they need it soon.

Nighttime drone footage shows a wildfire glowing in neon orange as it burned on a mountainside near Old Fort, North Carolina, on Wednesday,

This article originally appeared on Inside Climate News, a nonprofit, non-partisan news organization that covers climate, energy and the environment. Sign up for their newsletter here. SWANNANOA—People are living in campers in fields of debris off U.

The fire is happening while Western North Carolina is under an increased fire danger warning due to gusty winds, making it more difficult to contain.

On Wednesday at 4:07 a.m. the NWS Blacksburg VA issued an updated wind advisory. The advisory is for Ashe, Alleghany, Surry, Watauga and Wilkes counties.

Wednesday marked four months since Hurricane Helene ravaged the western Carolinas - and residents in McDowell County are facing yet another hardship.

On Tuesday at 2:34 p.m. the NWS Greenville-Spartanburg SC issued a wind advisory valid for Wednesday between midnight and 6 p.m. The advisory is for Caldwell Mountains, Burke Mountains and McDowell Mountains.

The North Carolina High School Athletic Association has released brackets for the 2025 high school wrestling dual-team playoffs.

This comes as NC lawmakers are also weighing what state aid to provide for Helene recovery in Western North Carolina.

A state agency tasked with rebuilding homes damaged in hurricanes Matthew and Florence is asking the legislature for more money, saying it otherwise won't finish the long-delayed recovery from storms that hit North Carolina more than six years ago.

An air quality alert was issued on Thursday at 3:31 p.m. in effect until Friday at 7:15 a.m. The alert is for Burke Mountains, Greater Burke, McDowell Mountains and Eastern McDowell as well as Yancey and Mitchell counties.