Harris visits NC, pledges ongoing support after Helene

Kamala Harris praised emergency responders involved in the recovery effort and promised that the federal government was “here for the long haul.”

Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris visited North Carolina over the weekend, where she pledged ongoing federal support and praised the “heroes among us” as the state continues to grapple with the damage left by Hurricane Helene. 

The hurricane ripped through western North Carolina, wiping out entire communities and killing more than 100 people. Hundreds more remain missing and tens of thousands remain without power in what has been described as the most devastating storm in modern North Carolina history.

Harris began her visit by attending a briefing with local and state officials; there, she thanked “those who are in the room and those who are out there right now working around the clock” and promised that assistance from the federal government would continue. She also praised the “strangers who are helping each other out, giving people shelter and food and friendship and fellowship.”

Gov. Roy Cooper said at the briefing that the state is “deeply grateful for the federal resources” that have been provided and added that “FEMA has been on the ground…since the very beginning.” 

Harris then helped pack toiletries into aid kits at a distribution center where she met Angelica Wind, a resident of Asheville, one of the areas hit hardest by the hurricane. Harris reportedly assured her that the federal government was “here for the long haul.”

The Biden-Harris administration has thus far deployed 1,500 active-duty troops in North Carolina, including some from Fort Liberty, to move necessities like food and water to distribution sites and ultimately to survivors, according to the White House.

Nearly 7,000 federal personnel, including FEMA staff, are also on the ground, according to the agency. So far, FEMA says it’s delivered over 15.6 million meals, 13.9 million liters of water, 157 generators, and more than 505,000 tarps to the affected areas.

As of Monday, more than 104,000 people had registered for federal assistance and FEMA had distributed over $30 million in emergency aid, according to Gov. Cooper. FEMA has also activated its Transitional Sheltering Assistance program, which has already put 1,700 people in hotel rooms.

While FEMA has made clear it has funding to deal with the immediate, short-term emergency response phase, the agency’s leaders have also said more funding is needed for the long-term recovery.

In a Friday letter addressed to congressional leaders, President Biden urged lawmakers to act quickly to provide “additional resources” to FEMA “and to give the communities we serve the certainty of knowing that help will be ongoing, both for the short- and long-term.”

He also called on them to provide more funding to the Small Business Administration’s disaster loan program, which is expected to run out of funding in a matter of weeks.

“For individual disaster survivors, SBA loans are often the largest source of Federal disaster recovery funds,” Biden wrote. “Renters and homeowners use these loans to repair and rebuild their homes as well as replace or repair damaged property including their personal vehicles, while businesses use them to cover basic operating expenses.”

Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson, however, has refused to commit to calling Congress back into session before the election.

Meanwhile, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has joined far-right activists in repeatedly claiming that the Biden-Harris administration is ignoring the communities devastated by Helene, as he’s sought to exploit the hurricane response for political gain. 

“There’s nobody that’s handled a hurricane or storm worse than what they’re doing right now,” Trump said last week at a rally in Michigan. 

Trump has repeatedly spread lies that FEMA lacked funding because it used funds on housing for undocumented immigrants, and in an interview with Laura Ingraham on Fox News over the weekend, he lied again and claimed that the agency will only provide $750 to disaster survivors to help them. 

“So we’re into almost $300 billion for Ukraine, and yet they’re offering people $750 for the worst hurricane that anybody’s seen,” Trump said. 

Ingraham rightly pointed out that the $750 was only for immediate needs, and FEMA Director Deanne Criswell on Tuesday criticized Trump for spreading false claims about the federal support.

“We really have just got to stop this rhetoric because what it’s doing is it’s putting fear in the people that we’re not going to be there to help them,” Criswell said on CNN. “And I worry that they won’t register for assistance with us and get access to the critical resources that they are eligible for.”

Harris also told CNN on Monday that Trump needs to stop lying about the resources available to Helene survivors. 

“First of all, it’s extraordinarily irresponsible,” Harris said. “It’s about him, it’s not about you. And the reality is that FEMA has so many resources that are available to folks who desperately need them now and resources that are about helping people get back on their feet and rebuild, and have places to go.” 

“You are entitled to these resources,” she added. “People are entitled to these resources…all of those resources were created for just these kinds of moments.” 

For those in need of FEMA assistance, homeowners and renters in 25 counties can apply by calling 1-800-621-3362 or visiting www.disasterassistance.gov. FEMA can assist with displacement, home repairs, and other serious needs caused by the storm.