(Headline USA) The head of the U.S. disaster response agency continued to forcefully push back against criticism about her agency’s disastrous response to Hurricane Helene as the death toll from the storm continued to climb.
Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Deanne Criswell claimed the agency’s massive, collaborative effort keeps growing, and she strongly urged residents in hard-hit areas to accept the government’s offer for assistance.
“We have thousands of people on the ground, not just federal, but also our volunteers in the private sector,” Criswell said at a news conference in Asheville, North Carolina.
“And frankly, that type of rhetoric is demoralizing to our staff that have left their families to come here and help the people of North Carolina,” Criswell added. “And we will be here as long as they’re needed.”
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas previously stated on Oct. 2 FEMA lacked the funds to help citizens struggling after the devastation.
FEMA then proceed to claim it had “enough money” for “immediate response and recovery needs.”
In addition, FEMA decided to dedicate part of its website to a “rumor response” on its response to Helene.
Former President Donald Trump and other Republicans have questioned FEMA’s response, as part of its funding was previously transferred to resettle illegals.
On Friday, the agency also put out a statement claiming it will provide more than the original $750 offered to disaster survivors.
Criswell said that initial money helps residents with expenses for medicine or food.
She said additional funding will be available to reimburse them for the cost of home repairs, personal items lost, post-hurricane rental units and hotel stays.
“But I can’t give it to them if they don’t apply,” Criswell said. “And if people are afraid to apply, then it is hurting them.”
When asked directly about a circulating claim that FEMA would seize people’s property if they don’t pay back the $750 in within one year, Criswell said that was “absolutely false.”
The cleanup and response to the storm that killed at least 230 people continued Monday, while Milton strengthened rapidly into a Category 5 hurricane on a path toward Florida, the same area battered by Helene less than two weeks ago.
More than 130,000 customers in western North Carolina were still without electricity Monday, according to poweroutage.us.
Also in North Carolina, more than 1,600 local and state search-and-rescue team members have been joined by about 1,700 members of the state National Guard, according to Gov. Roy Cooper’s office.
Meanwhile, the Pentagon said Monday that an additional 500 active-duty troops have been deployed to North Carolina.
Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, the Pentagon press secretary, said troops with advanced technological assets will be arriving, bringing the total number of active-duty forces to about 1,500.
The troops are bringing surveillance equipment to allow officials to get a better overview of the region.
Air Force Gen. Gregory Guillot, commander of the North American Aerospace Defense Command, said search-and-rescue aircraft were flying 10-hour sorties providing wellness checks, medical care and evacuations.
He called the military’s operations the “most important and honorable mission for us, which is to help fellow citizens.”
Cooper said more than 50 water systems were destroyed or impaired by the storm and that the pace of restoring service varies by community.
He said he couldn’t give a specific timeline but said the process might take longer in Asheville and Buncombe County, where at least six dozen people died.
“It’s still going to be a while,” he said.
Cooper also visited the towns of Chimney Rock and Lake Lure in Rutherford County, which both experienced devastating damage.
“We’re going to help western North Carolina come back,” Cooper said as he stood with Lake Lure’s mayor, Carol Pritchett. “It’s too important to our economy, to our state, not to do it.”
Pritchett told Cooper that the tiny town would need all the help it could get.
Its sewer and wastewater treatment systems needed complete replacements, and the lake would have to be completely dredged. She estimated the costs would be in the tens of millions of dollars.
“We’re a town of 1,300; we certainly can’t do it on our own,” Pritchett said.
Without restoring major infrastructure, Pritchett said the tourism on which the town depends could not come back.
“The town’s name is Lake Lure. With no lake here, the ‘Lake Lure’ kind of begs the question,” she said.
In South Carolina, officials estimate $250 million has been spent on debris cleanup, infrastructure damage and emergency response.
More than 300 homes were destroyed and 5,200 damaged, state Emergency Management Division Director Kim Stenson said Monday.
The state’s largest school district, Greeneville County, plans to reopen Wednesday after shutting down for seven days.
The district said it has had to modify bus routes because of blocked roads, closed bridges, sinkholes, and traffic signal outages at major intersections.
In Tennessee, where at least 12 people died from Helene, Gov. Bill Lee on Monday visited Bristol Motor Speedway, now a hub for collecting donations for victims and centralizing other operations in the wake of the flooding.
Lee met with coordinators and volunteers who were sorting through donations.
“These are Tennesseans and they’re hurting,” Lee said. “Not only are they hurting, but they’re helping.”
Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press
