Trump blocks FEMA aid to NC

Key Highlights

• FEMA, under the Trump administration, denied North Carolina’s Hurricane Helene aid request, prompting criticism from Governor Josh Stein.
• Stein warned the denial could cost the state hundreds of millions in recovery and infrastructure repair, and vowed to keep pushing for federal and state support.
• He is advocating for $19 billion in federal disaster relief and has proposed an $891 million state budget to aid recovery efforts.

Donald Trump’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) declined to give Hurricane Helene’s aid to North Carolina. Donald Trump says the Biden administration ignored the region, overlooked the state and did not deal with Hurricane Helene properly.

After being elected, Governor Stein is now asking the current administration for help refunding his Hurricane Helene request that FEMA turned down.

Josh Stein released a statement in reaction to news that FEMA had denied North Carolina’s request. "FEMA’s denial of our appeal will cost North Carolina taxpayers potentially hundreds of millions of dollars to clean up out west. The money we have to pay toward debris removal will mean less money towards supporting our small businesses, rebuilding downtown infrastructure, repairing our water and sewer systems, and other critical needs," Stein said in his official statement.

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"Despite this news, we are going to stay the course. We will keep pushing the federal and state governments to do right by western North Carolina. We will keep working with urgency, focus, and transparency to get any appropriated money on the ground as quickly as we can to speed the recovery. We will not forget the people of western North Carolina," Stein continued.

The statement also said, "Governor Josh Stein continues to advocate for the Trump administration and the U.S. Congress to send $19 billion to North Carolina for disaster relief - $11.5 billion in new appropriations and $7.5 billion in allocations from previous appropriations. Earlier this week, he released his second state Hurricane Helene budget proposal of $891 million to spur economic recovery, strengthen critical infrastructure, and get people back into their homes."

Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Mississippi, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas can now receive financial aid thanks to the main FEMA disaster declarations. It’s been weeks or even months, since communities hit by natural disasters hoped for aid from President Trump. Nonetheless, North Carolina does not participate in the 8 states allowed to receive money from FEMA for declarations of disasters.