In the wake of Hurricane Helene, questions about government response emerge
In western North Carolina, where more than 40 people have died after Hurricane Helene, some say the government was unprepared for the storm.
Long lines for gas. Shelters at capacity. More than 300 road closings. A severely damaged water system that could take weeks to repair.
Hundreds of miles from where it made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend, Hurricane Helene caused unprecedented damage in western North Carolina, where at least 49 people have died and dozens of others are missing.
“The devastation was beyond belief,” North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said at a news conference Monday afternoon. “And even when you prepare for something like this, this is something that’s never happened before in western North Carolina.”
The Federal Emergency Management Agency reported Monday that it had delivered about 1 million liters of water and more than 600,000 meals to North Carolina. More than 5,000 households have contacted FEMA to apply for assistance by phone and online.
FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell, who joined Cooper in Asheville on Monday, said more than 1,200 federal workers are now on the ground, responding to one of the worst disasters in North Carolina’s history, vowing: “We are going to be here as long as it takes to finish this response and continue through the recovery.”
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