Grapevine

In the wake of Hurricane Helene, questions about government response emerge

Cars sit submerged in a flooded area at a used tire dealer after Tropical Storm Helene in Hendersonville, North Carolina, U.S., September 27, 2024. Ken Ruinard | Via Reuters

Long lines for gas. Shelters at capacity. More than 300 road closings. A severely damaged water system that could take weeks to repair. Hundreds of miles from where it made landfall in Florida's Big Bend, Hurricane Helene caused unprecedented damage in western North Carolina, where at least 49 people have died and dozens of others are missing. "The devastation was beyond belief," North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said at a news conference Monday afternoon. "And even when you prepare for something like this, this is something that's never happened before in western North Carolina." The Federal Emergency Management Agency reported Monday that it had delivered about 1 million liters of water and more than 600,000 meals to North Carolina. More than 5,000 households have contacted FEMA to apply for assistance by phone and online. FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell, who joined Cooper in Asheville on Monday, said more than 1,200 federal workers are now on the ground, responding to one of the worst disasters in North Carolina's history, vowing: "We are going to be here as long as it takes to finish this response and continue through the recovery." But some residents have criticized what they view as a lack of preparation for the catastrophic storm.

Devonna Brown, an Asheville business owner, said she felt the city failed its residents. "They should have been more prepared. They knew that this storm was coming," she said. "We're very frustrated by it. I mean, there's no way to get in, no way to get out." Sara Legatski, another Asheville business owner, said officials should have expressed more urgency and brought in emergency water supplies earlier. "There should have been a more urgent call for people to be prepared," she said. "Were they stationing water off the mountain ready to be trucked up here, knowing how fragile our water system is? None of this is a surprise. Anyone acting like this is a surprise has not been here long enough and is not from the mountains and does not understand how water works." Spokespeople for the city and Buncombe County, which includes Asheville, didn't immediately respond to requests for comment about residents' criticisms. Cooper said at a news conference Monday that people are working nonstop to provide food, water and help. He said flooding and continuously rising rivers have prevented first responders from entering some communities.

At a news conference earlier Monday, Buncombe County Manager Avril Pinder expressed frustration with what she described as a slow response to requests for supplies. More from NBC News: Israel announces invasion of southern Lebanon targeting Hezbollah