Edwards on Helene’s six-month anniversary: WNC is ready to rebuild, local leaders need timely access to federal resources
Congressman Edwards shares update on Hurricane Helene recovery progress
U.S. Congressman Chuck Edwards (NC-11) today hosted a roundtable in partnership with the American Flood Coalition (AFC) to hear from Western North Carolina leaders on disaster recovery efforts on the six-month anniversary since Hurricane Helene made landfall on Sept. 27, 2024. Congressman Tim Moore (NC-14) and Congresswoman Deborah Ross (NC-2) were also in attendance.
The roundtable was an opportunity to discuss obstacles to achieving long-term resilience after Helene, ways to reform the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and local and federal collaboration to find solutions to challenges throughout the rebuilding process.
“Looking back on the six months since Hurricane Helene hit the mountains of Western North Carolina, I am grateful for all the ways that folks across the nation have contributed to recovery in our mountains,” said Congressman Edwards. “But as I hear from local leaders both this morning and over the last six months, it is clear that support continues to fall short from our region’s needs. The greatest takeaway was that Western North Carolina is ready to rebuild, our local leaders just need timely access to the resources passed by government, including the $110 billion in disaster aid from the American Relief Act, to keep making progress. Knowing where the pressure points are, I’m confident that with continued focus and collaboration, we will be able to accelerate recovery for folks whose lives have been turned upside down by Helene.”
"Today marks six months since Hurricane Helene devastated Western North Carolina and the need for a faster, more effective federal system has never been more urgent,"said AFC Carolinas Director Tony McEwen. "The American Flood Coalition is proud to support local leaders from the Western North Carolina Recovery and Resilience Partnership, 15 of whom attended today's roundtable to call for recovery and resilience resources. We appreciate Rep. Edwards, Rep. Moore, and the entire North Carolina delegation for their continued leadership on this and for helping quickly facilitate a meeting with top FEMA officials to ensure that critical questions around funding were addressed. This will help communities across the state get the financial support they need so they can rebuild and be better prepared for the future."
Congressman Moore said, “On the six-month anniversary of Hurricane Helene, it was important to have this bipartisan roundtable, hosted by the American Flood Coalition, so we can reflect on our progress, assess the work that still needs to be done, and evaluate how we can fix FEMA to ensure it's ready to help Americans when disaster strikes. Families in Western North Carolina showed incredible resilience in the face of devastation, but too many were left behind by a federal response that was slow and buried in bureaucracy. Every American citizen should be able to trust that FEMA will be there when they need it most - it’s time to restore that trust.”
“Today’s roundtable was a productive dialogue about the need to work in a bipartisan way to support Western North Carolina’s long road to full recovery,”said Congresswoman Ross. “I reiterated that Congress must pass Governor Stein’s request for $19 billion in federal assistance. An extended delay in approving additional aid for Western North Carolina will likely have significant long-term consequences. I am grateful that our colleagues on both sides of the aisle are committed to supporting our western neighbors - we will not abandon Western North Carolina.”