(The Center Square) – FEMA’s Transitional Sheltering Assistance hotel stays were extended Monday evening, answering the pleas of western North Carolinians.
In a social media post from FEMA’s Region 4 at 8:12 p.m., “#NC: FEMA is extending the Transitional Sheltering Assistance hotel stays until Jan. 25 for 3,000+ who are eligible. Families checking out Jan. 14 are returning to habitable homes or withdrew from FEMA assistance.”
A phone number (800-621-3362) was also on the message. Gov. Josh Stein expressed thanks in a social media post about 45 minutes later later.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency, led by Administrator Deanne Criswell, was heavily criticized before and after a weekend storm dropped up to 4½ inches of snow in parts of the mountains Friday and into early Saturday morning. A move-out date of Friday was pushed back to Saturday, then to Tuesday before Monday evening’s decision.
Every Republican member of Congress from North Carolina signed a letter Monday addressed to President Joe Biden and Criswell requesting no drawdown on personnel in the state due to the wildfires in California. The congressional delegation expressed sympathy for Californians and recognized the $110 billion relief package that is critical to FEMA’s help in recovery.
“As members of Congress from the state of North Carolina,” they wrote, “we are familiar with the destruction and despair communities experience during and following a natural disaster. We implore you to recognize the urgent needs that remain in North Carolina as a result of Hurricane Helene, and FEMA’s attention is still required there.”
The letter was led by Rep. Chuck Edwards of the 11th Congressional District, which along with the 5th of Rep. Virginia Foxx was the hardest hit by Helene. Signatures of Foxx, Sens. Thom Tillis and Ted Budd, and Reps. Addison McDowell, Dr. Greg Murphy, David Rouzer, Richard Hudson, Mark Harris, Pat Harrigan, Brad Knott and Tim Moore were also on the letter.
Helene killed 104 in North Carolina and 233 across seven states. The storm made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane in Dekle Beach, Fla., on Sept. 26. It dissipated over the mountains of the state and Tennessee, dropping more than 30 inches of rain in some places and over 24 consistently across more.
The estimated damage is more than $53 billion, according to a report from former Gov. Roy Cooper. Federal government help so far has been about $9 billion from a $110 billion package signed in December by President Joe Biden, plus FEMA assistance. State government help has included more than $1.1 billion in appropriation from three legislative packages, with more expected.