I’ve been moved by the stories I’ve heard from western North Carolinians all weekend. Stories of people coming together, helping one another, and rebuilding.

North Carolina, it looks like the storm developing closest to our coast is shifting directions. That’s good news. Heavy rain is still expected in eastern NC through the end of the week, so we are still making plans to be prepared, and so should you in case of flash flooding.

Back in April at the groundbreaking, Eric Church called the Blue Haven neighborhood in Newland the Blueprint for the Blue Ridge. Seeing these homes built and the work that Eric and Chief Cares have done is incredible.

Our first responders showed us what it means to protect and serve during Hurricane Helene. They conducted ground and air operations and swift water rescues to save hundreds of stranded people during the storm – some rescuers risking their own lives to save their neighbors.

I’m heartbroken by the shooting last night in Southport that tragically took three lives and injured others. Anna and I pray for their families and friends. I have been in touch with state and local law enforcement, and the state will provide any support needed.

I’ve carried with me the stories of the people I met in Lansing last October as we work to do right by the people of western North Carolina. The reopening of the town of Lansing is a testament to residents’ resilience and unshakeable spirit. It’s a moment of hope.

I have declared a State of Emergency to enable the State Emergency Response Team to mobilize resources and prepare for potential impacts of hazardous weather, including Tropical Depression 9 or future Imelda.

Rainfall from Hurricane Helene caused the New River to flood the town of Lansing, damaging homes, businesses, and roads.

Hurricane Helene isn’t just a story of destruction and pain. It’s also a story of resilience and grit. The people of western North Carolina are strong, and we will stand by them every step of the way.

There is still much uncertainty about what potential Tropical Storm Imelda could bring. My team is continuing to track the storm, but now is the time to make preparations. Heavy rainfall with the potential for flash flooding is expected all across the state this weekend and into early next week.

Pigeon River Gorge was the location of one of the 1,450 roads Hurricane Helene made completely impassable.

North Carolinians cannot afford for dysfunction in Raleigh and Washington to send their health care costs through the roof or stall recovery in western North Carolina.

After Hurricane Helene, the Office of State Budget and Management went to work to develop a Damage and Needs Assessment that created a road map for North Carolina’s recovery efforts.

I’ll never miss an opportunity to share the grit and resilience of the people of western North Carolina. They are an inspiration, and we must match their urgency.

It’s not too late for the General Assembly to reverse these devastating cuts to Medicaid. Let’s put people’s health first. Let’s get it done – I'm ready to sign a clean bill.

As of this post, more than *3,000 people have applied to the RenewNC program, and we are working as fast as possible to get folks like Ms. Waters back into their homes in western North Carolina.

We are already starting to see how bad policies coming out of Washington are cutting jobs in our growing clean energy sector. I’ll continue to do whatever I can to protect clean energy jobs and keep North Carolina the #1 state for business. www.citizen-times.com/story/news/2...

Rosh Hashanah marks not just a new year on the Jewish calendar but also the birth of the new world. My prayer for this new year is that we renew our own personal and collective determination to repair the world and to show our children that brokenness can be healed.

Stepps Hillcrest Orchard was one of the many small businesses in western North Carolina impacted by Hurricane Helene. The storm washed away the road leading up to the farm and kept customers away in the middle of apple picking season, the farm’s busiest.

North Carolina is home to the future of biotech, and we welcome Fujifilm, an industry leader. This new project in Holly Springs will create 1,400 new, good-paying jobs and add more than $10 billion to the state’s economy over the next decade.

Thank you, US Department of Transportation, the Federal Highway Administration, and the Trump administration for authorizing $1.15 billion toward repairing North Carolina’s roads. I look forward to continuing to work together to keep North Carolina moving forward.

With no agreement in sight to fully fund our Medicaid program, the General Assembly is putting politics ahead of people. It’s past time they come together and protect North Carolinians’ health care access.

The people who are on the front lines of educating our children and protecting our families need more than our best wishes – they need to be well paid. Let’s do more to invest in the people who are investing in us.

Every North Carolinian deserves to feel safe, no matter what. We can and we must work together across the aisle to make progress to protect our communities.

NC Biotech has helped keep North Carolina on the cutting edge of life sciences for the past 40 years. I am grateful for its commitment to encouraging investments in innovative, life-saving, and cutting-edge biomanufacturing.

If the General Assembly doesn’t take action to fund Medicaid before October 1, the program will be at risk for serious cuts that will harm our entire health care system. I’m ready to work with the General Assembly to protect our health care. The time is now to come together and get it done.

Everyone deserves to be and feel safe in their daily lives, and I remain committed to making sure we are doing more to protect the people of North Carolina.

Our freedom of speech is one of the most precious rights enshrined in our Constitution. People have the right to say what they believe - even when we disagree. Free speech is not limited only to speech that we like.

I am ready to work with anyone and everyone to rebuild western North Carolina. I am in Washington, DC, today to continue to advocate for more federal funding for Hurricane Helene recovery.

Bespoke Coffee Shop in Wilmington is just one of the locations where The Summer I Turned Pretty was filmed. My team is divided between Team Conrad and Team Jeremiah, but we all agree that we love Team North Carolina!

Thanks to funding from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development and hard work from the NC Department of Commerce, Matalene Waters’ home is now fully repaired. It was great to visit with her. We’ll keep working together to get a lot more folks back into their homes.

I joined governors from across the nation to urge Congress to extend tax credits that are set to expire at the end of the year that help make healthcare more affordable for working folks. As families struggle with rising costs, these tax credits are as important as ever.

It’s been nearly one year since Hurricane Helene struck the state and nearly nine months since Congress has appropriated money toward recovery. The people of western NC are counting on federal support to rebuild and recover. And they deserve it.

🎡Anna and I had a lot of fun on the last day of the North Carolina Mountain State Fair in Fletcher! If you’ve never been and have the chance, go for it. It’s great!

My cabinet, Anna, and I spent yesterday afternoon cleaning up along the Sweeten Creek with folks from Mountain True. Recovery is all hands on deck, and I am so proud of my team’s commitment to helping western North Carolina rebuild.

North Carolina’s natural beauty brings us so much peace and joy. It also supports a growing and vital part of our economy.

GOOD NEWS: With support from a $3 million grant from the state, Baptists on Mission has now completed repairs on almost 500 homes! I am grateful for their efforts.

Every dollar North Carolina receives brings us closer to recovering from Hurricane Helene. I’m grateful for our federal assistance to date, but it’s not enough.

The time to put an emergency kit together is BEFORE a natural disaster strikes. An emergency kit should include anything each member of your household could need in an emergency and enough food and water for 3-7 days. Visit ReadyNC.gov to make sure you have what you need for your emergency kit.

FEMA has officially issued a Major Disaster Declaration to help communities affected by Tropical Storm Chantal, which includes Public Assistance funding for Alamance, Caswell, Chatham, Durham, Moore, Orange, and Person counties.

Health care providers and pharmacists recommend vaccination as a safe and effective tool to protect yourself and your community from COVID-19, especially with cold and flu season upon us.

The NC Department of Commerce is developing a strategic economic plan to keep North Carolina economy growing and making it work for everyone. I joined Secretary Lee Lilley in Pembroke for a listening session to hear ideas from community leaders, local governments, and nonprofit partners.

✅Doubling the number of registered apprentices. ✅Reducing state government vacancies. ✅Developing a plan to leverage AI and build a future-ready workforce.

Season 2 of Beast Games and Top Chef Season 23 are just two of the projects that will be filming in North Carolina thanks to the North Carolina Film and Entertainment Grants. These productions will bring $131 million in economic impact and create more than 3,800 jobs across the state.

The AFL-CIO is the largest union in North Carolina, representing 150,000 workers in all kinds of businesses across the state. I look forward to working with you to make North Carolina a state where everyone can afford to thrive, no matter where they live or work.

We must make sure that we take care of people and everyone is safe.

Great news: I just got off the phone with President Trump, who pledged his support for Tropical Storm Chantal and Hurricane Helene recovery. It’s all hands on deck, and I thank him for helping North Carolina rebuild.

We must never forget those lives that were lost on September 11, 2001, as we continue to build a future based on freedom and democracy.

My heart is heavy with sadness from senseless murders — Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark, Iryna Zarutska, and Charlie Kirk — and school shootings last month in Minneapolis and today in Colorado.

We can never tolerate or become numb to political violence. Our nation is weaker when people are afraid to share their opinions or disagree. Please join Anna and me in praying for Charlie Kirk’s recovery.