- Aid trucks finally arrive in North Carolina, offering hope and much-needed relief to residents who are still struggling in the aftermath of the hurricane and flooding.
- President Trump visited North Carolina after Hurricane Helene, criticizing FEMA's lack of support and promising to take swift action.
- Residents have been living in tents and campers, suffering through harsh winter conditions, with minimal government aid.
- Trump promised to overhaul FEMA and increase state responsibility in disaster response.
- Internal messages suggest FEMA workers in Florida were told to avoid homes with Trump campaign signs, leading to an audit.
Four months after Hurricane Helene devastated North Carolina, residents finally saw a glimmer of hope as a convoy of aid trucks arrived just days after President Donald Trump’s visit to the area. The president, who has been vocal about the inadequate response from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), promised swift action and a thorough overhaul of the agency.
Trump’s critique of FEMA
During his visit to Asheville, Trump minced no words in criticizing FEMA’s handling of the disaster. “FEMA has really let us down, let the country down,” he told reporters. “We’re going to take over, we’re going to do a good job.” The president, who previously floated the idea of dismantling FEMA during a Fox News interview, emphasized the need for states to take more responsibility in disaster response.
The criticism is also fueled by the fact that FEMA workers in Florida were allegedly instructed to avoid offering help to people in homes displaying Trump campaign signs in the wake of Hurricane Milton. According to internal messages obtained by The Daily Wire, a FEMA supervisor told workers to “avoid homes advertising Trump.” The Department of Homeland Security inspector general has since launched an audit into these claims.
Struggling residents await relief
Amid the slow response, many North Carolina residents have been living in tents and campers, facing the harsh realities of a brutal winter storm. Michelle, a Swannanoa resident, described the situation as “hell.” She and her neighbors have been surviving in a makeshift camper park, relying heavily on charitable organizations for support.
Emily Russell, who was seven months pregnant when her home was flooded, shared her frustration. “It’s just really been crazy since then. No help, really, except for volunteers and churches that we’ve been grateful for,” she said. “They’ve come, and they really helped us a lot because we had to gut the house and rebuild it.”
Vicky, another Swannanoa resident who lost her home, had expressed her hope ahead of Trump’s visit, saying, “I hope that he sees how bad it still is and sticks to his word and does something about it.”
A ray of hope
The arrival of the aid convoy has brought a ray of hope to the struggling community. President Trump’s promise to fix the situation "as fast as you can” resonated with many residents. Danny Bailey, who was affected by the hurricane, believes the new administration will make a difference. “Even if he just helps us financially, or he gets people in here to say, ‘OK, we’re going to build you a house’ … because what FEMA’s done was good, but it wasn’t good enough,” Bailey said.
As North Carolina residents continues to grapple with the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, President Trump’s intervention and the arrival of aid trucks offer a much-needed lifeline. The president’s critique of FEMA and his promise to overhaul the agency highlight the ongoing struggle for effective disaster response. For the residents of Swannanoa and other affected areas, the hope is that this intervention will mark the beginning of a faster and more comprehensive recovery.
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