State auditor flags costs of hurricane relief beds and meals exceeding $500k daily

A new state audit is raising questions about the cost of North Carolina’s Hurricane Helene response, finding the state spent more than $111 million on base camps operated by a Texas-based disaster response contractor.

State Auditor Dave Boliek said the camps cost taxpayers more than $500,000 per day during the seven months they were in operation.

The audit found a single bed cost about $800 and the average meal was priced at more than $41.

It also concluded that key performance metrics were missing, making it difficult to evaluate whether the state received adequate value for the money spent.