It’s been just over a year since Hurricane Helene ripped across the Southeast, killing 250 people and causing billions of dollars in damage to homes and businesses.

In Georgia, the storm claimed 37 lives while its devastating winds and floodwaters led to at least $5.5 billion in damage to the state’s farmers and foresters, according to assessments from University of Georgia researchers.

On Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced the state will receive just over $531 million in federal funds for the Hurricane Helene Block Grant Program intended to cover future economic losses, infrastructure losses and timber losses caused by the hurricane.

In a statement, Georgia Agriculture Secretary Tyler Harper celebrated the funding, stressing that it was the most the state could get.

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