OAN Staff James Meyers
11:59am – Monday, February 10th, 2025
President Donald Trump's Transportation Secretary, Sean Duffy, traveled to North Carolina and Tennessee to investigate the aftermath of Hurricane Helen, which occurred in late September 2024.
advertisement
“Last year, seeing Hurricane Helen destroy communities in western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee have broken our hearts,” Duffy announced. “When a part of our country hurts, our entire country hurts, so the people of North Carolina and Tennessee will rebuild this important highway and keep our communities connected to the rest of the two countries Helping me do it is my priority.”
“Like many communities in western North Carolina, when you live in the small town of America, they feel forgotten,” Duffy told Harris Faulkner on Monday. “They feel like the federal government doesn't care. Their state government doesn't care. And I understand that in this administration they might come from a small town. I think, they may not be the wealthiest people. But what do you know? Because they are Americans and they deserve our help and our help, We haven't forgotten about them.
Duffy pointed out that the new administration will soon rebuild highways in areas that collapsed during the hurricane, describing it as a billion-dollar project that will take a long time to complete.
“This will be the most expensive emergency relief project the Department of Transport has done in its 50-year history,” Duffy said. “This is the size of this project and how important it is to get the rebuild right.”
“Donald Trump, he doesn't move at the speed of his previous administration. He's moving the lightning fast, so we want to go fast,” he continued. “We want to be cheaper and we want to go safe.”
Trump is reportedly debating closing the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), instead giving federal recovery money directly to states affected after the natural disaster. FEMA has faced enormous criticism in recent years due to prejudice and inefficiency.
Trump last month signed an executive order to establish a FEMA Review Council, which consists of fewer than 20 members, co-chaired by a secretary of homeland security and defense.
“Even though it has mandated nearly $30 billion in disaster aid over the past three years, FEMA has been able to leave vulnerable Americans without the resources and support they need when they need it the most,” said President. I read the reign.
Additionally, Duffy said smaller infrastructure projects within the community have also been considered, highlighting the need for community connections as developers and residents continue to rebuild.
“This is a major artery, as we mentioned, but there are a lot of small roads and bridges connecting the community in the mountains,” Duffy said. “A lot of them are partially washed away there. The landslides and rock slides that have devastated their homes, churches, shops and coffee shops. And that's… that infrastructure as well, how they do I'll see and understand if it can help me rebuild it.”
“Again, I don't think this part of our government is that critical, but if that doesn't work, if you don't have the infrastructure to connect people, then again in a deeper way to people's lives. It will affect you,” he continued.
Hurricane Helen has killed more than 100 people in North Carolina alone, destroying or severely damaged thousands of homes, businesses and other structures.
“This is their home. This is where their family has been for generations. They want to stay here,” Duffy continued. “That's really important to our work and helping them stay in places they love and in the communities they have enjoyed for a long time.”
“We work to ensure that our dreams continue to live,” he concluded.
Please provide us with information! Receive break news and explode directly into your inbox for free. Please subscribe here. https://www.oann.com/alerts
The following ads
Share this post!
