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Democratic Gov. Josh Stein announced Friday that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has denied North Carolina’s request to extend the full reimbursement period for Hurricane Helene recovery efforts.
Stein posted on X, formerly Twitter, “Today, I learned that FEMA refused our request to extend its 100% reimbursement period for another 180 days. I got this news while I was in Newland with families who lost their homes in the storm. The need in western North Carolina remains immense — people need debris removed, homes rebuilt, and roads restored. I am extremely disappointed and urge the President to reconsider FEMA’s bad decision, even for 90 days. Six months later, the people of western North Carolina are working hard to get back on their feet; they need FEMA to help them get the job done.”
In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, President Donald Trump voiced sharp criticism of FEMA’s response in North Carolina, accusing the agency of being too slow to release recovery funds and failing to coordinate effectively with state officials. Trump repeatedly claimed that federal bureaucracy was delaying critical aid, saying in one press briefing, “The people of North Carolina deserve faster, better action. FEMA needs to cut the red tape and get the job done.”
He also suggested that political bias might be influencing the pace of assistance, given Trump’s staunch support in hard-hit areas of western North Carolina, though FEMA denied the allegations.
Trump has consistently secured North Carolina’s electoral votes in the past three presidential elections. In 2016, he defeated Hillary Clinton with 49.83 percent of the vote to her 46.17 percent, a margin of 3.66 percentage points. The 2020 election saw a tighter race, with Trump narrowly surpassing Joe Biden by 1.34 percentage points. In the 2024 election, Trump expanded his lead, securing 50.86 percent of the vote against Kamala Harris‘s 47.65 percent, marking his third consecutive win in the state.
This is a developing news story and will be updated as more information is available.
