Hurricane Helene North Carolina Propane Relief Fund established

The Southeast Propane Alliance (SEPA), SEPA North Carolina Advisory Board, North Carolina Propane Education & Research Foundation (NCPERF) and Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) have combined financial resources and staff to establish the Hurricane Helene North Carolina Propane Relief Fund.

The region continues to grapple with the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, which struck the southeastern United States in September.

The Hurricane Helene North Carolina Propane Relief Fund is available to any North Carolina-based dealer within the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)-established region requesting assistance with propane filling operations. Initially, the program is for propane-filling efforts but may be extended to include other items (e.g., tanks) at the discretion of the approval committee, according to a news release. A special committee will approve each request and may grant exceptions to cap amounts and uses on a case-by-case basis. If the voucher is approved, the fund will reimburse propane dealers at $1.25 per gallon with a cap of $5,000 per dealer location. The approval committee may address special circumstances.

An online voucher at www.propanenorthcarolina.com is available to North Carolina-based dealers within the FEMA-established region requesting assistance.

“These funds will go a long way to support the propane dealers who are donating thousands of gallons of propane to folks in western North Carolina who have been devastated by Hurricane Helene and need propane to keep warm in RVs, campers, tents, tiny homes and sheds,” says John Jessup, president and CEO of SEPA.

The funds will be available retroactively starting Dec. 1, 2024, through March 31, 2025, or while funds last.

Those interested in contributing to NCPERF are asked to contact SEPA, the organizations state in the news release. As a 501(c)(3), contributions will be tax deductible.

Featured homepage photo courtesy of SEPA