Despite right-wing disinformation campaign, the federal and state government response to Helene is ongoing – and earning praise
It has been two weeks since Helene hit western North Carolina with high winds and historic rains that caused devastating floods throughout many communities in the area and recovery and response efforts have continued to progress since then.
Last week we highlighted the state and federal response in the immediate aftermath of the storm. Those efforts are ongoing and have expanded to include even more help and resources. In addition to government aid, we are witnessing North Carolinians doing what we do best – rolling up our sleeves, and helping our neighbors.
What is happening on the ground:
More than 3,000 soldiers and airmen are now working in western North Carolina, including troops from Fort Liberty, Fort Campbell and other assistance from 12 different states. National Guard and military personnel are operating more than 40 helicopters and over 1,200 specialized vehicles to help with these missions. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is on-site across the mountains assessing water and wastewater plants and dams, many of which were badly damaged or destroyed by the storm.
Despite disinformation about FEMA and relief efforts that have spread throughout social media, the agency has been in the impacted areas since Helene hit. FEMA and federal partners have delivered approximately 10 million liters of water and around 8 million meals in WNC to support both responders and residents. FEMA has also paid out more than $60 million in FEMA Individual Assistance funds to WNC disaster survivors and more than 134,000 people have registered for Individual Assistance with the agency. The agency also has more than 900 staff members in the state to help with relief efforts.
Federal and state leaders have also responded to impacted areas. President Joe Biden took an aerial tour of the damage with Gov. Roy Cooper several days after the storm hit, and announced a 100% FEMA reimbursement for the next six months, a significant investment that will support cleanup, recovery, and search-and-rescue efforts. The president also quickly approved Cooper’s request for active-duty military personnel and equipment to support operations in WNC and declared a major disaster in North Carolina, which allowed local governments and individuals to access FEMA assistance.
Last weekend, Vice President Kamala Harris traveled to the state to meet with families impacted by Helene.
While in North Carolina, Harris promised federal assistance would continue to flow and announced that the Biden-Harris administration would provide $100 million to repair Interstate 40, portions of which washed away near the North Carolina-Tennessee border.
Cooper has spoken highly of both the federal government and state agencies’ response to Helene, as have Republicans.
NCGA Relief Legislation:
Legislators came back to Raleigh earlier this week to put together a measure granting $273 million for Helene recovery and passed it unanimously on Wednesday afternoon. Cooper signed the bill on Thursday morning. More funding measures are expected to pass in the future.
Republican state Sen. Timothy Moffitt, who represents Henderson, Polk and Rutherford counties, praised the response from his colleagues to pass the bill quickly as well as the efforts from state agencies.
Moffitt called the response “so encouraging, because as a nation, we lose sight of who we really are. A lot of the time we end up bickering about things that are not important. This is important. This is when we come together. This is when we are one.”
Republican state Rep. Jennifer Balkcom, of Henderson County, lauded the government response.
“I saw the full extent of our state and federal government come to our rescue. I’m extremely grateful to this body. I’m grateful to all our first responders, and I’m grateful to everybody for their help for western North Carolina,” she said.
Republican U.S. Rep. Chuck Edwards, who represents parts of WNC devastated by Helene, has also praised the response and spoken forcefully against the lies and conspiracy theories being spread by Donald Trump and other members of his party.
Edwards called the Biden administration’s response “a level of support that is unmatched by most any other disaster nationwide.” He also condemned “outrageous rumors” that are slowing down the efforts to provide aid to his constituents who are in need.
North Carolina Republican state Sen. Kevin Corbin has also voiced his outrage at the disinformation being peddled online, calling it “conspiracy theory junk” and pleading with his Facebook followers to “PLEASE help stop this junk.”
Fighting the Rumors:
The rumors and conspiracy theories that are being spread on social media are actively hurting response efforts and will have real-life consequences for people who buy into them, Keith Turi, FEMA’s acting associate administrator for response and recovery, told Politico.
“The misinformation is extremely damaging to the response efforts from Helene and from any disaster,” he said. “It is reducing the likelihood that survivors will come to FEMA in a trusting way to register for assistance.”
The North Carolina Department of Public Safety and FEMA have both created “Fact vs. Rumor” webpages to fight back against the disinformation that has become so prevalent online.
The North Carolina State Board of Elections has also been battling disinformation about voting in WNC in the aftermath of Helene. They have created a page with all the information voters in the affected areas need to know. The board has approved a series of emergency measures to enable victims of Hurricane Helene to vote in the 2024 election.
As a reminder, we have put together English and Spanish-language websites with a list of resources for anyone personally impacted by Helene and for those who want to help with the response effort.
Ways You Can Help:
- Donate to Organizing Resilience’s Hurricane Relief efforts
- Donate to the State of NC’s Disaster Relief Fund
- Donate to NC Counts Coalition Collaborative Efforts for Hurricane Helene
- Donate to the food bank coalition serving Western NC
