“Still no FEMA, still no military”: Volunteers condemn Helene’s response to CNN

During a CNN interview Sunday afternoon, volunteer pilots and relief organizers criticized the federal government's response to Hurricane Helene, saying that in North Carolina, which was devastated late by the storm, “there is still no FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) and still no Military” last month.

Hurricane Helene hit the Big Bend region of Florida on September 26 as a Category 4 hurricane and then swept through the southeastern region of the United States. Parts of western North Carolina were hit particularly hard, with roads washed away, homes destroyed and millions of people without power.

According to the Associated Press, 227 people died in six states as a result of the storm. The number is expected to rise as relief efforts continue. This makes it the deadliest hurricane to hit the US mainland since Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

On Sunday, the leaders of two major volunteer aid groups, Operation Airdrop and Operation Helo, gave CNN anchor Omar Jimenez a grim description of the reality on the ground.

Doug Jackson, chairman of Operation Airdrop, struggled to explain the destruction he had seen in the region: “Their homes are gone. What they have around them is all they have left in this world. It's absolutely devastating for her. It's hard to describe, I've never seen anything like it.”

The volunteer group uses aircraft and pilots to deliver life-saving supplies to people in need in more remote and inaccessible places. Jackson said the organization “flew 673 flights, delivered over 400,000 pounds by air and 700,000 pounds by truck, totaling nearly 1.2 million pounds of supplies from one airport.”

Limited by fixed-wing aircraft at Concord Padgett Airport outside Charlotte, North Carolina, Jackson said he spoke with his friend Matt McSwain, who quickly co-founded Operation Helo to deploy helicopters in hard-to-reach areas. Operation Helo is based at Hickory Regional Airport in western North Carolina.

McSwain said Operation Helo had created “over 400 LZs (helicopter landing zones) over the mountains in remote locations,” adding that the operation “conducts over 400 sorties per day, we have over 90 helicopters registered.”

During the interview, McSwain called out the federal government, stating that when the operation began there was “no military presence, no military assistance, no FEMA, nothing.”

He continued that today, almost a week and a half after the hurricane, “still no FEMA, still no military, still nothing, we're begging – this is day eight, nine now.”

Newsweek FEMA emailed for comment Sunday afternoon.

“We are tired,” he added. “But when we go home, mom and dad don’t get their medicine and they die. That’s why we kept going.”

McSwain continued, “We're doing our best to keep these people alive,” pleading that the volunteer groups “need the military here, we want to go home, we want to leave this to an operation, we want some help.” “We need help, I don't know what else to do to get it.”

Behind McSwain was a map with various nodes showing the locations of helicopters, landing zones and the topography of the region. He pointed to the map and said, “We're integrated into the military, they're watching what we're doing, but for some reason they don't show up.”

On Sunday afternoon, Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said nearly 1,000 troops “have been mobilized to support residents and affected counties devastated by Hurricane Helene in western North Carolina. These Soldiers are working closely with FEMA to ensure distribution of goods to designated local jurisdictions by FEMA in close coordination with North Carolina officials.”

The federal government's response to Helene has been scrutinized by many, including political opponents and supporters who say the disaster relief agency is not doing enough to support Americans in need.

On Wednesday, Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, announced that FEMA workers would go door-to-door in affected areas to deliver $750 in immediate relief funds to residents. The $750 is part of a larger effort to support those affected by the hurricane.

“FEMA is also providing people tens of thousands of dollars more to help them make repairs to their homes so that if they have insurance, they can cover a deductible and also hotel costs,” Harris said at the time.

Scrutiny of FEMA spending has increased in recent weeks after FEMA spent money through its Shelter and Services Program (SSP) to help communities across the country deal with an influx of migrants. The program had a budget of $640 million for fiscal year 2024, which ended September 30.

Former President Donald Trump, the GOP presidential nominee, has criticized the SSP, which helps local governments and nonprofits assist migrants. However, FEMA and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have denied that FEMA disaster relief funds went to the program.

“The Shelter and Services Program (SSP) is an entirely separate, dedicated grant program authorized and funded by Congress and is in no way affiliated with FEMA’s disaster authorities or funding streams,” a DHS spokesperson previously said Newsweek.

There were claims that FEMA did not have enough money to help those in need after Helene. However, FEMA has publicly denied these rumors, writing on its website: “FEMA's Disaster Relief Fund has sufficient resources to support Hurricane Helene efforts, and FEMA has some. Immediate response and recovery efforts are needed.”

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told reporters Wednesday that while the agency can address immediate needs, “FEMA does not have the resources to get through the season.”