Asheville, North Carolina – Two North Carolina locals who survived Hurricane Helen in September but suffered heavy losses from the storm share a single phrase from President Donald Trump to the area impacted by the hurricane I stuck with them during my visit.
“He really seems to care. … I'm glad he's here because we feel like under other administrations we've been forgotten or never taken care of. It's digital.
“He said, 'We're here, and we're going to help you,' and I believe him,” Wright added.
Wright's father lost his home and his small business, and Wright himself lost his home as well as his farm's tractor and tools.
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US President Donald Trump speaks while visiting a neighborhood affected by Hurricane Helen in Swannanoa, North Carolina, on January 24, 2025. (Mandel ngan/AFP via Getty Images)
“We lost almost everything. It's hard to build when you don't have the tools,” he said.
President and First Lady Melania Trump arrived in Asheville, North Carolina, around 10 a.m. Friday, with subsequent stops in Fletcher and Swannanoa. Trump spoke with local residents and politicians before heading to California for the trip on Friday afternoon.
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A Trump flag posted on the Helen decommissioned Swannanoa tree in North Carolina on January 24, 2025. (Fox News Digital)
“I came to North Carolina with a simple message for all the people in this region that were hit hard by Hurricane Helen, and that message is very simple: personal stories from local groups.
“You are no longer forgotten.”
Many people in western North Carolina are sleeping in tents and campers more than 100 days after the storm hit in the early morning hours of Sept. 27. Most campers on private property are donated by local and national charities like Samaritans. Purse and the Cajun Navy are working with Emergency RV to donate used and new campers.
Others are staying in campers donated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency at certain FEMA-designated sites.
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North Carolinians living in a row of privately donated campers in Swannanoa. (Fox News Digital)
Holly Cape of Emergency RV tells Fox News Digital that the organization has donated 87 RVs so far, but expects that number to reach 104 by next week.
“I promised to come back to western North Carolina to help the people of our state. Today, I'm here to fulfill that promise,” Trump said Friday. “We have a lot of things in mind, and we're setting everything up for … Army engineers. Your riverbanks need to be fixed. You need a lot of roads.”
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Tents and campers in Swannanoa, North Carolina. (Fox News Digital)
The Rev. Franklin Graham, president and CEO of Samaritan's Purse, told Fox News Digital on Friday that he was grateful for Trump's visit to hurricane survivors.
“To have the president come today and shake their hands and talk to them and see their homes that have been destroyed, I can't tell you what it means to these people,” he said. said. “They were so grateful to see the president of the United States showing up for them like this. It gave people hope.”
Rev. Franklin Graham, president and CEO of Samaritan's Purse, speaks during President Donald Trump's visit to North Carolina, which is being damaged by Hurricane Helen, on January 24, 2025. (Samaritan's Purse)
Although much of Swannanoa's devastated landscape looks unchanged compared to the weeks after the storm first hit, there are small signs of improvement. , not all outside the house, but more debris organized in specific piles, specific parts of the land that were cleaned or snoozed.
Progress is happening slowly, and locals say the biggest need now is still housing in the cold winter months.
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U.S. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump visit areas devastated by Hurricane Helen as the waves come out as they arrive at Asheville Regional Airport in Fletcher, North Carolina, on January 24, 2025. (Mandel ngan/AFP via Getty Images)
Residents are hoping FEMA will reduce some of its deficits under the new administration, so people with urgent needs will have more access to those necessities, whether it's money, housing or other assistance. Get fast access.
“There is no denying that FEMA dropped the ball in North Carolina,” Rep. Mark Harris, R-N.C., told Fox News Digital. “My visit to President Asheville with President Trump only confirmed that FEMA is hindering the state’s ability to rebuild and provide real assistance to the victims of Hurricane Helen. Americans facing disaster must get the help they need.”
A Trump sign posted on a utility pole in Swannanoa, North Carolina, on January 24, 2025. (Fox News Digital)
“As it is, it needs to be restructured,” Wright said of FEMA. “It’s so hard to get money for immediate needs…We lost everything.
“Our people are p—.”
Wright also said that while locals are upset about “billions of dollars overseas,” people have immediate housing needs in North Carolina and other places affected by Helen. .
Hurricane Helen produced billions of dollars worth of damage as it destroyed homes, farms, and critical infrastructure such as roads, bridges, and power lines. Portions of the highway connecting North Carolina and Tennessee have been closed since late September.
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More than 100 people have died as a result of the hurricane in North Carolina alone, and more than 230 people have died in six states, including South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Georgia, and Florida.
