Rep. Chuck Edwards, RN.C., who represents a district in the western Tar Heel state, said Monday that the federal government's response to Tropical Storm Helen was “disappointing.”
“The reaction was disappointing,” Edwards told anchor Blake Berman on NewsNation's “The Hill.”
On Sunday, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper (D) said Helen's widespread destruction left at least 11 people dead in the state. Landslides and flooding closed Interstate 40 and other roads, leaving much of western North Carolina isolated. The Associated Press reported the worst flooding in North Carolina in 100 years.
“we [began] Some resources were brought in today, but the storm ended about 80 hours ago,” Edwards said in an interview with Berman. “The storm stopped around 10 a.m. Friday. We knew it was coming, but today we're starting to see the first signs of it. [Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)] The employees, the trailer, the helicopter…”
“How is that possible, Congressman?” Berman interjected. “It was no secret that Asheville was going to experience historic flooding.”
Edwards responded, “I can't say how it happened.” [was] It's possible, but the people of Western North Carolina feel disappointed, and rightly so. ”
President Biden said he would visit North Carolina on Wednesday to inspect the damage caused by Helen.
“We're going to North Carolina on Wednesday. We're planning right now. We're going to land in Raleigh for a meeting with the Emergency Operations Center and then do an aerial tour,” Biden said in recent remarks.
The Hill reached out to FEMA.
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