NORTH CAROLINA: Trump's FEMA Delivers Real Relief for Hurricane Helene Victims Biden Left for Dead

President Donald Trump has already resolved more than 80 percent of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) cases for North Carolina residents left struggling under former President Joe Biden’s failed leadership in the aftermath of last year's Hurricane Helene.

"President Trump came in and visited this community, and in less than 20 days secured over $54 million for families in need. He also registered 2,600 families who had previously been overlooked and helped them access the programs available," said Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. "In the past five days alone, we’ve decreased the number of open cases by nearly 80 percent."

Hurricane Helene struck the U.S. in late September, with its most severe impact hitting North Carolina on September 27. During a visit to the state, President Trump sharply criticized FEMA’s response under the Biden administration.

"At one point, half of the emergency calls to FEMA went unanswered. That’s real bad. FEMA was not doing their job," said Trump.

Biden, who was in office during the crisis, appeared disengaged from the real struggles on the ground, focusing instead on boosting illegal aliens in the US. 

According to Homeland Security Sec. Alejandro Mayorkas, FEMA did not have the funds to make it through hurricane season because the Harris-Biden administration spent over a billion dollars from a FEMA program on services for aliens illegally crossing the border.

But Helene is just one example of Biden’s failures. His administration also fumbled the response to the Maui wildfires and the East Palestine train disaster. Americans must remember the contrast between Democrat leadership and President Trump’s swift, effective action.

"President Trump is making sure these communities aren’t forgotten," Noem added. "He also launched the first major initiative to connect farmers directly with recovery assistance."

(RELATED: Where is the Would-Be Commander-In-Chief After Hurricane Helene?)

NC Democrats Still Delaying Recovery

President Trump is addressing Hurricane Helene's aftermath at the federal level, but state-wide recovery efforts continue to be undermined by failed Democratic leadership in North Carolina.

One of the most glaring examples is the ReBuild NC program, established in October 2018 under the North Carolina Office of Recovery and Resiliency (NCORR) by former Gov. Roy Cooper (D). The program was intended to help residents recover from major disasters like Hurricanes, but it has been a failure form the start.

"Then came the disaster after the disaster, when the Biden and Cooper Administrations were too slow in their response to Helene. Families were left without shelter, internet or cell service for weeks, bridges and roads were impassable . . . trapping many. The people of western North Carolina deserve better," said North Carolina Republican House Speaker Destin Hall.

Despite receiving over $778 million in federal funding, the program failed to deliver timely assistance to thousands of displaced families. Reports revealed that in the past many applicants even waited years without any meaningful progress on their housing.

Construction delays and poor contractor oversight have also crippled the program. A 2023 audit found that ReBuild NC frequently missed its own construction targets, with hundreds of projects either delayed or abandoned altogether.

As the state's efforts to help the victims of Hurricane Helene continues, Republicans are sponsoring legislation to end the failed Rebuild NC program and set strict timelines for all work related to Hurricanes Matthew (2016), Florence (2018), and Helene (2024).

"We’ve still got a little bit of time I think to get this right," said state Representative Dudley Greene (R) "The stakes are high and I think it’s incumbent upon us to do our due diligence and make sure we get this right."

As of March, only $44 million remined in Housing and Urban Development grants to rebuild North Carolina. If increased funding is awarded on the federal and state level, State Auditor Dave Boliek has pledged to address the lack of transparency and unfulfilled promises to North Carolinians affected by hurricanes.

In March, Boliek launched a recovery dashboard to show new expenditure data on Hurricane Helene recovery.

"Transparency and accountability are crucial in Western North Carolina hurricane recovery efforts," said Boliek. "I’m proud of the work our team has done, enhancing our role as North Carolina's fiscal watchdog at no additional cost to taxpayers."

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