Hurricane Helen has smashed into the Southern United States, wrecking havoc. While FEMA and the Federal Government have sent support, it is nowhere the adequate amount for the colossal destruction.
The damage in North Carolina is the worst in living memory for many. WXII12 says:
Emergency responders, lifelong residents and college students in the greater Boone area are all in agreement — the damage Friday from Helene might be the worst ever to hit this part of North Carolina.
Watauga County Emergency Services Director Will Holt said his team was “arms deep” in the response phase to the storm, which he described as “catastrophic” for the region. He could not confirm if there were any injuries or how many buildings were damaged or destroyed. Appalachian State University announced earlier in the day that its home football game, originally scheduled for Saturday against Liberty, was canceled and will not be made up.
The death toll has already risen to over 100 individuals. The mountains, isolated and hard to reach, are making the rescue and recovery effort more difficult. The NY Times reports:
Officials have been working to truck in drinkable water to the city of about 94,000 people, the Federal Emergency Management Agency said on Monday. But the lack of cellphone communication, along with widespread power outages and blocked roads, have left officials unsure of the extent of the damage in many hard-to-reach spots.
Power and phone service have been problems all across the South. More than two million customers were still without electricity by midday Monday from Florida to Ohio, with the most in South Carolina, according to the tracking site poweroutage.us.
Donald Trump has an opportunity to take the lead in helping the area to show his leadership qualities. Kamala and Biden have already squandered these opportunities.
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