House Majority Leader John Bell (R-Wayne) has been appointed by Speaker of the House Tim Moore (R-Cleveland) to serve as Co-Chair of the newly formed Subcommittee on Hurricane Response and Recovery under the Joint Legislative Commission on Governmental Operations.

“I am grateful to be appointed by the Speaker to help lead this effort to bring greater oversight and accountability over the state’s hurricane response efforts,” said Rep. Bell. “This newly established subcommittee will help us address delays in the process and make sure these folks are not forgotten and get the relief they need and deserve.”

Following Hurricanes Matthew, Florence, Dorian and Isaisis, the N.C. General Assembly approved multiple disaster relief packages — allocating over $1 billion since 2016 — to help storm victims and communities recover. Unfortunately, due to missteps, delays, and mismanagement by the Cooper Administration, far too many North Carolinians are still awaiting assistance and resources.

The first order of business for the subcommittee will be to understand why so many families are still without homes nearly six years after Hurricane Matthew battered eastern North Carolina and nearly four years after Hurricane Florence hit the same area.

“Majority Leader Bell knows firsthand how our communities are impacted by hurricanes and other natural disasters,” Speaker Moore added. “His leadership on the Subcommittee on Hurricane Response and Recovery will be essential to ensuring those communities are receiving the help they need, when they need it.”

Lawmakers expect to call officials from the North Carolina Office of Recovery and Resilience (NCORR), among others, to discuss the process to date, what has worked, lessons learned, and reforms under way to speed up getting people back in their homes. A date for the first meeting is expected to be announced soon.