Officials warn of public disaster scams targeting Helene victims
FBI Atlanta warned the public of disaster scams, saying there have been “reports of scammers claiming to work for contractors and insurance companies targeting Hurricane Helene recovery efforts.”
Some scammers may go door to door to target residents in affected areas, or call, text or email with promises of aid. Real government workers are required to carry official identification and show it if requested. Residents can call the agency directly to confirm a worker’s identity.
FEMA is reminding the public that government disaster assistance agencies do not ask for financial information, and there is no fee required to apply for assistance. Those with internet access can go to Fema.gov to apply for assistance directly.
Any suspected fraudulent activity should be reported to the National Center for Disaster Fraud hotline at (866) 720-5721.
White House hits back at Republicans’ ‘lies’ regarding Helene response
White House spokesman Andrew Bates pushed back on what he called “lies” shared by some Republican figures regarding the Hurricane Helene response.
In a new memo shared today, Bates said: “Some Republican leaders — and their partners in right wing media — are using Hurricane Helene to lie and divide us.”
“Their latest missive: baselessly claiming that FEMA is out of money to respond to Hurricane Helene — because of an existing program that supports cities and towns that are sheltering migrants. ... This is FALSE,” Bates wrote.
“No disaster relief funding at all was used to support migrants housing and services. None. At. All,” he continued.
Trump echoed that false theory at a rally in Michigan yesterday, saying, “They stole the FEMA money, just like they stole it from a bank so they could give it to illegal immigrants that they want to have vote for them this season.”
Bates clarified that funding for communities to support migrants is appropriated by Congress to U.S. Customs and Border Protection and is merely administered by FEMA, and the funding isn’t related to FEMA’s response and recovery efforts.
“FEMA has the funds it needs for immediate response and recovery efforts for Hurricane Helene. In fact, FEMA has been able to provide over $45 million in direct financial assistance to individuals and families affected by Hurricane Helene, including over $17 million to those recovering and rebuilding in North Carolina,” Bates added.
Family reunited with dog found stuck in treetop after Helene flooding
The Faulkner family thought they'd lost their beloved dog Athena when their Tennessee home was swept away by Helene floodwaters.
FEMA administrator visits shelters in N.C.
FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell said she visited multiple cities in North Carolina yesterday and spoke with survivors in local shelters.
She traveled to Fletcher, Arden, Marion and Spruce Pine.
“What our focus is now is getting those resources from our pods to the people. What do I mean by pods? Points of distribution. How do I get that water and that food from there to you? That’s our focus,” she said in a video posted on X this morning.
Criswell will remain on the ground in North Carolina until recovery stabilizes, under the direction of President Joe Biden.
‘It changed this landscape forever’: Local describes destruction in North Carolina mountain town
Fairview, North Carolina, is still reeling from Helene, with mudslides, homes reduced to debris and roads destroyed, making car travel impossible.
Mitch Kolbe, an artist who lives on a 100-acre sheep farm in Fairview, told NBC affiliate WBIR of Knoxville, Tennessee: “It changed this landscape forever.”
“It’s total chaos. You have mountain slides that have pushed houses into roads, and giant boulders have been pushed off the mountains into roads, into houses,” he explained.
Kolbe said some homes were pushed as far as 200 yards from their foundations.
The National Guard is flying in water and meals to mountain towns including Fairview as recovery efforts slowly continue.
Despite the destruction, Kolbe said he and his community are resilient. “Thank God we’ve got each other, and that will get us through. We’re survivors up here,” Kolbe said.
New Jersey utility company sends linemen to Georgia
Public Service Electric and Gas, a power and utility company based in New Jersey, announced this morning it has deployed mutual aid crews to Georgia to support post-Helene restoration efforts.
PSE&G deployed 90 lineworkers, safety professionals, mechanics and logistical support personnel to provide mutual aid to Southern Company, a gas and electric utility company based in the Southeast.
Crews are slated to arrive in Georgia this afternoon and are prepared for a two-week deployment, or until they’re no longer needed.
“After Hurricane Sandy, Southern Company was one of the many utilities that came to our aid. Utilities from as far away as New Mexico, Florida and the Province of Quebec provided 4,500 lineworkers and support personnel during our time of need,” PSE&G’s John Latka, senior vice president of electric transmission and distribution, said in a statement. “We know the importance of getting the lights back on for customers and feel fortunate when we are able to assist.”
Hurricane Helene: Death toll rises to at least 215
The death toll from Hurricane Helene has risen to more than 200 as hundreds of people are still missing and hopes of finding survivors are fading.
Buried in mud: Marshall, N.C., residents struggle to dig out after Helene
Residents of Marshall, N.C., have been “shoveling mud nonstop” after Helene’s floodwaters blanketed the town.
Sam Brock reports from Swannanoa, N.C., on Helene survivors' continuing struggles
North Carolina authorities say they're still searching for hundreds of people reporting missing in the wake of Hurricane Helene. NBC News' Sam Brock reports from Swannanoa, N.C., where access to clean water and restrooms, as well as communication gaps, are among the top issues survivors are facing.
More than 741,000 without power in Southeast
More than 741,000 customers and businesses remain without power in the Southeast as of 7:30 a.m. ET, according to PowerOutage.Us.
In South Carolina, more than 282,000 are without power, in North Carolina more than 231,000, in Georgia more than 201,000, in Virginia more than 13,000 and in Florida more than 10,000.
Power has slowly been restored in Helene-hit states in the week since the storm blew through, but hundreds of thousands remain in need.