Then candidate Donald Trump wrongly blasted President Joe Biden over the recovery efforts in North Carolina after Hurricane Helene hit. Trump propagated misinformation on his Truth Social account and even flew down here for a shameless photo-op. Unsurprisingly, his administration is holding up recovery efforts in N.C., where communities are still waiting to be reimbursed for debris removal, wastewater treatment repairs, roads and bridges, damaged buildings and parks, as well as for emergency protective measures,The Washington Post reports.
The Department of Homeland Security is holding up $115 million in pre-approved funds that are intended to help the hurricane-battered state.
Via The Post:
On July 22, North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein sent a letter to DHS Secretary Kristi L. Noem urging her to rapidly release disaster recovery funds that the Federal Emergency Management Agency had already approved, which total about $115 million in public assistance grants. The state “faces nearly $60-billion in storm related damages,” the governor said, and while the federal government has already provided “considerable financial support … unfortunately much more help is needed to rebuild western North Carolina.”
In a statement, DHS said after Helene, FEMA “delivered substantial assistance to North Carolina to help individuals, businesses and communities recover,” which the agency said has so far totaled $1.36 billion, not counting funds from other federal entities. The statement added “funding and resources will continue to flow to the state.”
Communities across the region, though, still need to be reimbursed for about a hundred projects ranging from debris removal, waste water treatment repairs, roads and bridges, damaged buildings and parks, as well as for emergency protective measures such as paying back volunteer fire departments, according to data obtained by The Post.
In February, the state also requested $94 million in additional funds through hazard mitigation grants to help communities rebuild 235 damaged properties so they can better withstand hurricanes and floods. Now in the thick of another hurricane season, the state is still waiting.
Governor Stein shouldn't have to beg Noem for the already approved funds. Perhaps she's too busy asking her Instagram followers to choose their favorite portrait of her.
We didn't have this problem with Joe Biden at the helm:
NC Air National Guard is hauling over 100,000 pounds of supplies from the Federal Emergency Management Agency in a C17 to Western #NorthCarolina as part of #Helene support.
🎥: Maj. Monica Ebert pic.twitter.com/cAY4ndpVKE— NC National Guard (@NCNationalGuard) September 30, 2024
