Rainfall Forecasts Were Good - So Why Was Helene So Catastrophic?
ForbesOct 17
Report: Hurricane Helene Caused $53B In NC Damages
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Above: Debris covers a closed street near the Swannanoa River in Asheville, North Carolina, on Oct. 20, 2024, as clean-up efforts continue after Hurricane Helene devastated the area. Image copyright: JIM WATSON/Contributor/AFP via Getty Images
The Facts
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper announced this week that the damage from Hurricane Helene will cost $53B, more than three times that endured after Hurricane Florence in 2018. He also asked the state legislature to approve $3.9B in state aid.
The proposed budget includes $650M for non-agricultural businesses and nonprofits; $600M for housing assistance; $578M for infrastructure, such as utilities; another $55M for damaged roads; and $422M for the impacted agricultural economy.
The Spin
Democratic narrative
Both North Carolina and the federal government are actively providing relief for communities devastated by Hurricane Helene. After assessing the damage first-hand, Gov. Cooper has directed $600M in state relief funds, which comes on top of the $168M in FEMA funding. Both federal and state operations will continue as more money is allocated.
Republican narrative
While Democrats and the White House play rhetorical games with American lives, the people of North Carolina and Florida have waited desperately for genuine help to arrive. Unfortunately for these tax-paying victims, the billions of dollars that should've been spent on them have already been spent on housing illegal immigrants.
