After Hurricane Helene swept over the southeastern United States, wiping out entire towns, washing roads away, and leaving thousands stranded without access to necessities, the federal government’s attempts at disaster aid are being faced with a barrage of criticism.
Hurricane Helene, a Category 4 storm that measured more than 700 km across at its largest, caused death and widespread destruction in six southeastern states following its rapid intensification and landfall on Sept. 26, with winds hitting 225 km/h. Before the storm made landfall, a predecessor rain event dumped large amounts of rain across the area, with significant parts of North Carolina getting 200-300 mm and the township of Busic reporting 751.3 mm of rain in just over 48 hours.
What the situation actually looks like on the ground in the six states worst affected by the hurricane is difficult to assess, as media reports differ significantly from online reports from locals.
While the official death toll on Friday topped 200, locals on social media claim the total number of dead is likely to be worse than when Hurricane Katrina hit Louisiana in 2005, killing over 1,300. A woman who reported overhearing representatives for the Federal Emergency Management Agency FEMA at an airport quoted them as saying “whatever death toll you hear, go ahead and add a couple of zeros to it.” All of the Army Chinook helicopters flying over the area, she said, “are doing body recovery.”
Private pilots with their private planes, she also said, are the ones bringing supplies:
I was at Hangar 10 and there was a stack for the Cajun Navy, a stack that looked like it was for the ASPCA; these are all being sent by private individuals. FEMA is doing nothing.
Whether that is an accurate assessment or not, that is the impression given by many locals on social media in the wake of the natural disaster: private citizens, churches, and help organizations are the ones making the difference—not the federal or state government.
The stories told are heartbreaking: families drowning inside their homes, mothers seeing children swept away by the floods, and entire towns wiped off the map. Volunteers in skiffs, on horseback, with mule trains, and on foot are bringing supplies to areas isolated after roads have been completely destroyed.
Some even used drones to drop off insulin, at least until the federal Department of Transportation—along with a video of Secretary Pete Buttigieg attempting to be reassuring—told drone pilots they couldn’t fly their drones “near or around rescue and recovery efforts for Hurricane Helene.” After public outrage from locals, explaining that drones are the only way they can assess the situation of friends and relatives in other areas, the agency issued a statement saying the “temporary restrictions” had been lifted.
To assist with communications, Elon Musk made all Starlink internet connections available for free in the affected area. One poster on X explained the difference that made:
My community had ONE home with Starlink and a small generator. Without it, we would still have no contact with the outside world on Day 7. Twice-a-day hikes to the Starlink house allowed me to contact family members of neighbors who couldn’t do that hike, monitor local news and social media for updates and call 911 for a rescue.
As with previous emergencies—both Hurricane Katrina and the Maui fires—volunteers have reported being hindered in their efforts to help by federal authorities telling them they are only getting in the way of the work of the government agencies.
What we do know for sure is that VP Kamala Harris took a bit of time out from her presidential campaign to promise $750 to “folks who need immediate needs being met, such as food and baby formula”—much like in the case of the Lahaina wildfire on Maui, Hawaii, in 2023.
But even that paltry sum is reportedly hard to get. A local in the foothills of the western North Carolina mountains said that “everybody I know in my area, including myself, who applied for the $750 ‘assistance payment’ from FEMA has been denied.”
Three months ago, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told an interviewer that FEMA was “tremendously prepared” for hurricane season. Yesterday, he said, “FEMA does not have the funds to make it through the season.”
Critics have pointed out that the agency has not been lacking funds when it comes to the at least 8 million immigrants coming across the open border under the Biden administration. In April, FEMA allocated $640 million to expenses relating to mass immigration: $300 million for direct funding to aid immigrants settling in the U.S. and $340 million in grants to cities for the same purpose.
FEMA responded to the accusations on Friday, saying they have enough money “right now for immediate response and recovery needs. If you were affected by Helene, do not hesitate to apply for disaster assistance as there is a variety of help available for different needs.”
The federal government’s military aid to other countries has also been criticized in the context of a lack of support for Americans who have now lost everything. On Sunday, September 29th, knowing the extent of the storm damage to the southeast, the White House announced they had approved $567 million in military support for Taiwan. That comes on top of military aid to Ukraine (almost $56 billion from Jan. 24, 2022 to June 30, 2024, according to the Kiel Institute) and Israel ($12.5 billion since Hamas’ terror attack a year ago).
To make matters worse, the longshoremen’s union ILA decided this was a good time to have 45,000 dockworkers in 36 ports go on strike, demanding a 77% pay raise to make up for inflation. After Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced he would call in the Florida National Guard and State Guard to keep the ports open, it took the union only a few hours to decide to postpone the strike until January.
As for the man occupying the most powerful position in the world, President Joe Biden, after being uncertain about “what storm zone” a reporter was asking about, said “they’re getting everything they need. They’re very happy.”
President Reagan said in a speech in 1986 that “the nine most terrifying words in the English language are: I’m from the Government, and I’m here to help.” True or not, when disaster strikes the U.S., it’s other Americans who step up to help their neighbors—without a single care about the neighbors’ race, religion, or sexual orientation.
