NORTH CAROLINA, USA — North Carolina Emergency Management is touting its fast initial response in the aftermath of Helene but recent history reveals the state has struggled to quickly help hurricane survivors in the long-term.
According to the agency, the state has helped send more than $1 million in FEMA benefits to survivors with almost 60,000 people already applying for federal help. People can apply at www.disasterassistance.gov or by calling 800-621-3362.
"This is an unprecedented disaster for North Carolina. We are throwing every resource possible," Justin Graney, Emergency Management Chief of External Affairs and Communication, told WCNC Charlotte. "We are in a good place moving forward already with a disaster declaration. We are working to remove any barrier to making this as quick as possible."
Right now, North Carolina's efforts are focused on helping meet the immediate needs of those who've lost the most in western North Carolina. Eventually, the state will turn its attention to recovery efforts with a focus on improving on past efforts.
"I think we're using lessons learned from previous disasters," Graney said. "We learn from every disaster, just like we've learned from Hurricane Florence, Hurricane Matthew."
North Carolina created a program in the aftermath of Hurricanes Matthew and Florence meant to help survivors in the eastern part of the state repair and rebuild, but that program has crept along. The storms hit in 2016 and 2018, destroying homes and displacing people. Yet records show more than a third of homes remain unfinished. As of late September, more than 1,600 projects were still not labeled "complete."
Gov. Roy Cooper created the North Carolina Office of Recovery and Resiliency after Hurricane Florence. Lawmakers have repeatedly called into question the agency's slow progress in helping past hurricane victims rebuild. In 2022, WRAL reported some survivors were still living in hotels.
"It's not enough..." Laura Hogshead, the chief operating officer of the North Carolina Office of Recovery and Resiliency, said of the agency's progress during a 2022 oversight hearing in front of lawmakers. "...It's not enough for the people of eastern North Carolina."
As the state works to fulfill its promise to victims of Matthew and Florence, North Carolina now has the responsibility of helping those devastated by Helene too.
FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell is in North Carolina and said she'll remain until things are stabilized. She pledged the federal government will be there to support the state long-term and will work to eliminate any red tape and ensure there are no delays, both now and in the future.
Contact Nate Morabito at nmorabito@wcnc.com and follow him on Facebook, X and Instagram.