North Carolina congressman says federal response ‘disappointing’ following Helene destruction

Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-N.C.), representing a district in the western portion of the Tar Heel State, said Monday that the federal response following Tropical Storm Helene’s destruction “has been disappointing.”

“The response has been disappointing,” Edwards said on NewsNation’s “The Hill” to anchor Blake Burman. 

On Sunday, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper (D) said that a minimum of 11 people had died in the state as Helene resulted in widespread destruction. Landslides and flooding caused the closure of Interstate 40 and other roads, isolating the western part of North Carolina. The Associated Press reported that North Carolina saw some of its worst flooding in a century.

“We [began] to see some … some resources brought in today, but the storm was over about 80 hours ago,” Edwards said in his interview with Burman. “The storm was over about 10 a.m. on Friday. We knew that the storm was coming, and only today are we beginning to see the first … [Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)] employees and trailers and … helicopters—”

“How’s that, how’s that possible, congressman?” Burman cut in. “I mean … how’s that possible? “This was no secret that Asheville was gonna get historic flooding.”

Edwards responded that he couldn’t “tell you how it [was] possible, but the people in Western North Carolina feel let down, deservedly so.”

President Biden has said he will visit North Carolina on Wednesday to see the damage from Helene.

“I’m going to North Carolina on Wednesday. It’s planned now. We’re going to be landing in Raleigh for a meeting with the Emergency Operations Center, and I’ll then do an aerial tour,” Biden said in recent remarks.

In an email to The Hill, FEMA spokesperson Daniel Llargues said “FEMA personnel and federal partners have been on the ground embedded with our state partners in North Carolina since before Helene.” 

“FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell is on the ground today in North Carolina and surveyed damage alongside Governor Roy Cooper,” Llargues added. “Administrator Criswell will remain on the ground in North Carolina until the situation has stabilized, as directed by President Biden.”

NewsNation is owned by Nexstar Media Group, which also owns The Hill.

Updated at 5:26 pm EDT on Oct. 1, 2024.