The American Flood Coalition (AFC) brought more than a dozen Western North Carolina local leaders to Washington, D.C., for meetings with senior leaders from the White House, Federal Emergency Management Agency, and Capitol Hill to elevate the region’s ongoing recovery and long-term resilience needs. The trip marked the six-month anniversary since Hurricane Helene brought catastrophic flooding to Western North Carolina.
The leaders are all members of the WNC Recovery & Resilience Partnership. Supported by AFC, the Partnership is a regionally led effort to secure financial support, resources, and policy improvements that aid in Helene recovery and better prepare the state for future disasters.
While in D.C., leaders met with Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Sen. Ted Budd (R-NC). They also discussed federal funding issues with their representatives at a breakfast roundtable, co-hosted by Rep. Chuck Edwards (NC-11) and Rep. Tim Moore (NC-14), with participation from Rep. Deborah Ross (NC-2). On the third and final day of the trip, local leaders met with senior officials at FEMA and members of the Trump Administration.
Each meeting allowed federal leaders to hear directly from local leaders on challenges on the ground, progress made, and resources still needed since Helene struck the area in late September. Leaders also voiced the opportunity for Western North Carolina to build greater resilience to future disasters into the region’s recovery, while improving federal disaster processes for the benefit of all communities across the United States.
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For details on the trip and the WNC Partnership, contact AFC Carolinas Director Tony McEwen at tony@floodcoalition.org.
For media inquiries, contact AFC Marketing & Communications Director Phil Newland at phil@floodcoalition.org.
