The American Flood Coalition (AFC) recently brought four elected leaders from Western North Carolina to Washington, D.C., to convene with leaders from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Capitol Hill to address the ongoing needs of its constituents one year after the devastation of Hurricane Helene.
The leaders prioritized two efforts that matter most to their communities: ensuring that recovery needs remain at the forefront, and highlighting opportunities to streamline recovery efforts by FEMA and other disaster recovery programs.
Federal leaders were able to hear directly from local leaders regarding their specific needs, many still unmet, during the recovery process. The meetings included sessions with Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC), Sen. Ted Budd (R-NC), Rep. Chuck Edwards (NC-11), Rep. Tim Moore (NC-14), and Gov. Josh Stein, who reiterated their ongoing commitment to the region.
The trip also included a valuable opportunity for WNC officials to meet with the Director of FEMA-Public Assistance, which allowed local officials to provide feedback on FEMA performance and to work through several community-specific needs. The four WNC leaders brought with them concerns from their neighboring communities as well as their own during the discussion.
This second visit to D.C. highlights the ongoing commitment of AFC and Western North Carolina leaders. The first visit, in April, came six months after the storm.
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For details on the trip and the WNC Partnership, contact AFC Carolinas Director Tony McEwen at tony@floodcoalition.org.
