North Carolina was denied Hurricane Helene's aid by Donald Trump's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Interestingly, Donald Trump criticized the Biden administration for ignoring the state, abandoning the region, and mishandling the response to Hurricane Helene.
North Caroline Governor issues statement
Now that he has come to power, North Carolina Governor Josh Stein has had to beg the current administration for the reimbursement request for Hurricane Helene, which FEMA has denied.
Josh Stein released a statement in reaction to news that FEMA had denied North Carolina’s request. "FEMA’s denial of our appeal will cost North Carolina taxpayers potentially hundreds of millions of dollars to clean up out west. The money we have to pay toward debris removal will mean less money towards supporting our small businesses, rebuilding downtown infrastructure, repairing our water and sewer systems, and other critical needs," Stein said in his official statement.
"Despite this news, we are going to stay the course. We will keep pushing the federal and state governments to do right by western North Carolina. We will keep working with urgency, focus, and transparency to get any appropriated money on the ground as quickly as we can to speed the recovery. We will not forget the people of western North Carolina," Stein continued.
The statement also said, "Governor Josh Stein continues to advocate for the Trump administration and the U.S. Congress to send $19 billion to North Carolina for disaster relief - $11.5 billion in new appropriations and $7.5 billion in allocations from previous appropriations. Earlier this week, he released his second state Hurricane Helene budget proposal of $891 million to spur economic recovery, strengthen critical infrastructure, and get people back into their homes."
{{/usCountry}}The statement also said, "Governor Josh Stein continues to advocate for the Trump administration and the U.S. Congress to send $19 billion to North Carolina for disaster relief - $11.5 billion in new appropriations and $7.5 billion in allocations from previous appropriations. Earlier this week, he released his second state Hurricane Helene budget proposal of $891 million to spur economic recovery, strengthen critical infrastructure, and get people back into their homes."
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Stein also published a video on X recently, informing the public that the Trump administration had denied the state’s request for FEMA to honor a Biden-era commitment towards North Carolina.
Which states have been allowed FEMA support?
The major FEMA disaster declaration approvals allow Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Mississippi, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Texas access to financial support.
This assistance by President Trump was being awaited for a long time by communities rocked by natural disasters. However, North Carolina is not a part of the 8 states that have been given this provision to seek for financial assistance through FEMA.