CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) – A temporary jobs program is expanding to 39 North Carolina counties devastated by Hurricane Helene.

Residents of the counties, which are listed below, can apply for jobs that will work on recovery efforts in the areas hit by Helene.

Those counties include Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Cabarrus, Caldwell, Catawba, Cherokee, Clay, Cleveland, Forsyth, Gaston, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Iredell, Jackson, Lee, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mecklenburg, Mitchell, Nash, Polk, Rowan, Rutherford, Stanly, Surry, Swain, Transylvania, Union, Watauga, Wilkes, Yadkin and Yancey.

[Remembering Helene victims: Names of 104 people killed in North Carolina]

“Hurricane Helene wreaked havoc on communities and devastated people’s livelihoods,” said Governor Josh Stein in a press release. “Unemployment in the west has spiked. This program will get folks back to work while helping their neighbors recover and rebuild.”

Funding comes from a Disaster Recovery Dislocated Worker Grant that was awarded by the U.S. Department of Labor.

[Watch: ‘The Day the Lights Went Out’: Watch WBTV’s Hurricane Helene documentary here]

The grant lasts for two years and during that time, eligible residents may be employed in positions that help with clean-up and recovery or humanitarian assistance.

Those who take part in the program may be employed for up to 12 months.

The grant can also support employment and training services that help people find new jobs and pay for workforce training.

To qualify, workers must be temporarily or permanently laid off because of the hurricane – or meet certain other criteria.

Information is available online at ncworks.gov.

Click here for more of our Hurricane Helene coverage.

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