The Trump administration has moved quickly to address the slow federal response in North Carolina following Hurricane Helene. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced that 80% of the outstanding disaster assistance cases have been resolved in just five days, a stark contrast to FEMA’s sluggish pace under President Joe Biden.
Trump has been vocal about FEMA’s failures, pointing to its poor track record in handling past disasters. He criticized the agency during a visit to North Carolina, highlighting that even after more than three months, many residents were still without basic necessities. “At one point, half of the emergency calls to FEMA went unanswered. That’s real bad,” he said.
Noem echoed Trump’s frustrations, stating that the federal response under Biden had left families struggling for months. She praised the administration’s efforts to secure over $54 million for victims in less than 20 days. Since Trump took office, 2,600 families have been registered for aid after previously being overlooked.
The failures in North Carolina are part of a broader pattern of inefficiency that has plagued FEMA for years, including its slow response to California wildfires and its widely criticized handling of Hurricane Katrina. Trump has suggested that the agency may be beyond saving, indicating that he is considering a major overhaul or outright elimination.
Noem explained that Trump’s proposal would shift disaster relief funds to the state and local level, allowing communities to determine how best to allocate resources. “You’ve heard him make comments that he might even want to end it and have it be a process where the federal government sends block grants or sends the dollars to the state or to the local communities, and they decide how it’s spent,” Noem said.
FEMA reports indicate that 153,000 households have received aid, but Trump and Noem have argued that this assistance has taken far too long to reach those in need. With Trump’s executive order now in place to review FEMA’s operations, changes appear to be on the horizon.
