Editorial
Jack moved to the mountains 6 years ago to enjoy the natural beauty and mild weather the western half of the state offers. Jack and their partner were out of town when Hurricane Helene tore through western North Carolina two years ago. When they returned, like many others, they faced significant damage to their home and property. Fortunately, Jack and their partner also found a spirit of community support and resilience.
By Jack Houser
Communities in Western North Carolina showed extraordinary resilience following Hurricane Helene, and their mutual support continues as needs persist nearly 2 years on. Neighbors distribute food and water, clear debris, help rebuild, share resources, and more.
However, even resilient communities cannot replace the role of government in disaster relief. Helene caused an estimated $60 billion in damage in our mountain communities, but only 31% of that total has been earmarked or funded. Governor Stein’s 2025 federal funding request highlighted disparities with prior hurricane relief, noting the federal government historically covered 40-50% and sometimes up to 70% of costs following similar events. Helene recovery has been underfunded and underprioritized.
Real families continue to experience the effects of this shortfall in funding. Hundreds of our neighbors still live in RVs or short-term housing and rely on assistance from nonprofits and churches. A surge in our unsheltered population may be attributed in part to Helene and cannot be fully addressed with present resources. Many people have been thwarted in their attempts to access federal funding by a slow, frustrating, and bureaucratic process lacking transparency. Access has been further hampered by the recent chaos facing federal agencies; spending freezes, staff reductions, policy changes, and arbitrary budget cuts have weakened FEMA’s capacity to respond. The federal government appears to be playing partisan politics with disaster relief.
Michael Whatley, former Republican state and national poohbah and current Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate from North Carolina, was appointed by the president in 2025 as “Helene Recovery Czar”. He has been absent on the ground, an ineffective advocate, and an embarrassment in his role despite his boasts of political influence. Whatley shows up for photo ops and campaign events but not for the people of Western North Carolina.
Whatley’s claims of securing funding and making recovery progress are inconsistent with our state’s own data. Press reports have criticized his failure to deliver on his responsibilities or his promises. Helene survivors have called out his misrepresentation of facts and lack of tangible results. While Whatley campaigns to further his climb up the political ladder, his role as recovery “Czar” has been all but abandoned.
Extreme climate events like Helene are becoming more frequent. We need our federal, state, and local governments to help fund our recovery. We need leaders who will address the root causes of these events and put policies and resources in place to prevent future disasters and, when disasters strike, respond effectively. Fewer ‘Czars’ – more qualified leaders.
Keep current government leadership failures and particularly charlatans like Whatley in front of mind when you VOTE.
Jack is a retired educator with deep roots in Western North Carolina.
