The state auditor is investigating North Carolina’s Hurricane Helene relief spending. A new report reveals that a shower and laundry station in Swannanoa cost $145,000 per day. Between October and April, the total reached $27.4 million. Gov. Josh Stein defended the spending
"Understand this was a catastrophic storm and our top priority was health and safety. This was a community that had no running water for weeks. Folks needed a place to shower. They needed a place to wash their clothes," he said.
Total damages from the storm are estimated at $60 billion, and recovery will take years.