President Donald Trump’s trip to western North Carolina on Friday comes as the region is still reeling from the nation’s deadliest hurricane in decades.
But now, local officials in the Tar Heel State are faced with a new concern: A state law enacted in Hurricane Helene’s wake could undermine efforts to better prepare for the next storm.
Tucked into a massive disaster relief package from the North Carolina Legislature was an unusual restriction on local zoning authorities. It could make it more difficult for hard-hit cities like Asheville to try to clamp down on development in flood-prone areas, according to some local officials.
By limiting cities’ options for regulating floodplains, the law could also cause more North Carolinians to lose out on flood insurance in the coming years, said Lindsey Prather, a Democrat in the North Carolina House of Representatives.
