The closure of Interstate 40 through the Pigeon River Gorge after Hurricane Helene has created challenges for some tractor-trailer drivers going between North Carolina and Tennessee.

The administration will send its request to lawmakers on Nov. 18, according to a senior administration official who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity.

Interstate 40 may reopen between North Carolina and Tennessee by New Year’s Day, according to the North Carolina Department of Transportation.

Gov. Roy Cooper has issued two executive orders to aid recovery efforts in the state — one to expedite distribution of surplus goods, and another to waive motor vehicle requirements.

In the worst moments, truckers are among the first to arrive, bringing lifesaving medication, water and food, writes new American Trucking Associations Chairman Dennis Dellinger.

The federal government has been under intense pressure to show that it is getting help to areas devastated by the back-to-back hurricanes and warns that more money will be needed.

The exemptions are designed to facilitate aid delivery to Southern states still recovering from hurricanes Milton and Helene.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis awarded SeaPort Manatee a $9.5 million grant to help repair berths and infrastructure after the port sustained $225 million in damages from Hurricane Milton.

President Joe Biden announced $612 million in recovery aid for areas stricken by hurricanes Milton and Helene as he surveyed the aftermath of Milton in Florida.

CORTEZ, Fla. — Floridians recovering from Hurricane Milton spent much of Oct. 12 searching for gas as a fuel shortage gripped the state.