President Donald Trump announced that he would be deploying the United States Army Corps of Engineers to North Carolina, highlighting how the people in the state need their riverbanks and roads fixed in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene’s destruction.
During a visit to the state on Friday, Trump admitted that he did not know “what took so long” for the Biden administration to address the destruction that communities in western North Carolina faced due to Hurricane Helene. Trump added that his administration would get them “the resources” they need and the support they deserved.
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“We have a lot of things in mind, and we’re getting the Army Corps of Engineers all set,” Trump said. “You need your riverbanks fixed. You need a lot of roads fixed. And, we’re going to get it done in rapid time, and I’ve asked Susie Wiles and all of my people to start calling up. Get the Corps ready and their going to get ready to go. I don’t know what it is, I don’t know what took so long for the other administration.”
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which has roughly “37,000 dedicated Civilians and Soldiers delivering engineering services to customers in more than 130 countries worldwide” works “diligently to strengthen” the security of the U.S. “by building and maintaining America’s infrastructure and providing military facilities where our servicemembers train, work and live,” according to the Army Corps of Engineers website.
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According to the Army Corps of Engineers website, “Under the National Response Framework (NRF) and authorities of the Stafford Act; USACE works under the direction of FEMA as a member of the federal team to support State and Local governments in responding to major disasters”:
Each year, the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) deploys hundreds of its trained personnel and resources across the United States and its territories to respond to emergencies and aid in disaster response recovery. Under the National Response Framework (NRF) and authorities of the Stafford Act; USACE works under the direction of FEMA as a member of the federal team to support State and Local governments in responding to major disasters. USACE also has its own authority to directly respond to State and Local needs related to flooding or coastal emergencies under Public Law 84-99.”
Trump added that he wasn’t in office “for the first four months or three months, whatever it may be,” and noted that his administration could “only start” as of a few days ago.
“We’re going to get you the resources you need and the support that you deserve. And, we’ll be at your side through every step of the rebuilding and no American is going to be left behind,” Trump added.
Several places in western North Carolina such as, the Village of Chimney Rock, Asheville, and Swannanoa were faced with devastating flooding, severe landslides, and destruction to roads, homes and communities as a result of Hurricane Helene. Other communities in Georgia, Florida, eastern Tennessee, and southwestern Virginia also faced severe flooding and landslides in the mountains.
While the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced in an October press release that it had given “more than $45 million” to Hurricane Helene relief efforts, residents in North Carolina criticized former President Joe Biden and his administration’s response to the hurricane.
Out of the $45 million, “more than $17 million in housing and other types of assistance” was given to over 10,000 households in North Carolina; more than $23 million was given “to more than 4,400 households” in Florida; “over $150,000” was given to survivors in Georgia; “over $4.5 million” was given to more than 5,600 households in South Carolina; and “more than $124,000” was given to survivors in Virginia.
In another press release from October 9, FEMA revealed that “federal disaster assistance for survivors” had surpassed $344 million.
Several residents revealed that they had been left to fend for themselves and had seen no signs of FEMA, while other residents said the Biden administration “took too long” to respond.
During a rally in Kinston, North Carolina, Trump criticized the Biden administration’s response to Hurricane Helene, calling it “a disgrace.”
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