To build real resilience, we must simplify the federal system
“Since Helene struck, we have had to navigate a system that is fundamentally broken,” said a North Carolina commissioner. “Reform is clearly needed. We need less paperwork and faster relief.” Over the last decade, the federal government spent $558 billion on disaster response—in the ballpark of what it spent on its share to build the […]
After Helene: When the math don’t math
When the math don’t math Dennis Aldridge serves Avery County, North Carolina — a mountain community devastated by Hurricane Helene in 2024. More than eighteen months later, he is still confronting a $57 million recovery bill on a $42 million annual budget. Through the American Flood Coalition’s WNC Recovery & Resilience Partnership, Avery County is […]