Quick Hit: Hurricane Helene updates
FEMA and the National Guard pack up; temporary housing is a serious issue
FEMA and the National Guard have packed up and left western North Carolina.
Per an extensive report by The Blaze’s Steve Baker, FEMA has dismantled its employee “village” near Asheville.
Related viewing: FEMA apologizes after failing to deliver promised trailers to Helene survivors in North Carolina
Baker’s report also confirms this pullout happened around the same time the National Guard pulled out on Nov. 25. I obtained an email sent to lawmakers confirming the withdrawal.
I have an outstanding records request with Governor Roy Cooper’s office about their departure. I’ll be reporting at North State Journal about what records I receive on the matter.
This past week, James O’Keefe was on the ground in the impacted areas. He spoke with folks on the ground there who haven’t seen any FEMA help.
As of Dec. 3, FEMA issued a graphic on their response in NC, “by the numbers,” which cites “5,200 Applicants checked-in to TSA hotels.”
The reality is as O’Keefe documented; FEMA hotel vouchers have run out for most survivors, forcing them to end up in tents on their property.
Under press releases, FEMA now says it is offering "moving and storage costs for eligible North Carolina survivors who are unable to stay in your home or who are living in a temporary shelter." More information can be found under FEMA’s NC aid link.
More recently, Vice President-elect JD Vance came to the hurricane ravaged region of North Carolina on Dec. 6 to see for himself what was going on.
Vance, along with NC Sens. Thom Tillis and Ted Budd, met with a number of people and organizations, including Samaritan’s Purse.
Samaritan’s Purse President Franklin Graham issued a statement on X about the visit, along with a video.
In remarks given in front of reporters, Vance said the whole area has been designated a flood plain, which FEMA has then used to block temporary housing like mobile homes. Vance said FEMA should be granting waivers” for such housing.
Sen. Budd also issued a video statement with updates on help for western North Carolina, including the slow response by the federal government. He also talks about the lack of temporary shelter and calls out the same flood plain regulations FEMA is using to deny use of those shelters. He calls on President Joe Biden to waive the regulation.
According to an email I obtained from Director of Governmental Affairs and Disaster Response Coordinator Brent Heath to General Assembly Senate lawmakers, people are not being removed or evicted from temporary housing.
“Our office investigation has determined that no one has been evicted from temporary housing in any of the affected counties,” Heath wrote. “We have also been working closely with the local inspections departments and counties affected by Hurricane Helene.”
Heath asked lawmakers to forward any such claims to his office for investigation and attached a letter from State Fire Marshal Brian Taylor.
Taylor’s letter clarifies “misinformation” about temporary housing for Hurricane Helene victims.
“I am issuing this letter to provide additional clarity regarding the requirements of the North Carolina State Building Code with respect to temporary housing constructed to shelter victims of Hurricane Helene and to address misinformation that has recently circulated on social media related to those temporary structures,'“ Taylor wrote.
According to the letter, local jurisdictions enforce the North Carolina State Building Codes, and the Office of State Fire Marshal (OSFM) provides guidance to ensure temporary shelters meet safety standards.
The letter cites recent social media rumors claimed authorities were evicting people from "tiny homes" such as those erected by the Amish as well as other temporary structures, but says that OSFM found no evidence supporting these claims. The letter also says OSFM staff have received threats due to these false reports.
The housing issues likely will be part of the discussion this coming week at the first meeting of the legislature’s House Select Committee on Helene Recovery. That meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 11 at 10 a.m. The public can attend in person or watch the meeting online here.
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