Since Hurricane Helene made a devastating landfall a month ago, the administration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris has mobilized a federal response that has provided hundreds of millions of dollars in financial assistance to survivors, extensive debris removal and restoration of power supplies, and a sustained commitment to long-term recovery efforts. As Biden and Harris have said, their administration will be with the people of the Southeast and Appalachia no matter how long it takes.
The administration has so far approved more than $2.1 billion in federal aid for those affected by Hurricane Helene, as well as Hurricane Milton, which made landfall in Florida shortly after Helene.
This includes more than $1 billion to help individuals and families pay for home repairs, personal property replacement and other recovery measures. To date, the Administration has also authorized more than $1.1 billion in public assistance to support local and state governments. These funds are being used primarily to support debris removal as well as to pay for emergency protective measures, such as emergency dispatch of first responders and the provision of shelter, food and water during and after storms.
On October 26, White House Homeland Security Advisor Liz Sherwood-Randall traveled to North Carolina to coordinate recovery efforts with Governor Roy Cooper, FEMA, and philanthropic partners on the ground. She emphasized the Administration's commitment to innovative partnerships that can accelerate recovery and reconstruction - through collaboration with state and local officials, the private sector, NGOs, and philanthropic donors - for as long as it takes.
Nearly 5,000 federal workers remain deployed in North Carolina and Florida, working with state and local officials to help survivors get what they need to speed recovery.
For communities affected by Helene, FEMA delivered more than 11 million meals and 9.6 million gallons of water. FEMA now has 65 disaster recovery centers open in all affected communities to provide personal assistance to survivors, and more are opening every day. As of October 27, 21 disaster recovery centers will be open in North Carolina. Electricity and cell service are restored to 99 percent of customers in the affected areas.
As communities embark on the road to recovery, the administration continues to provide support and resources.
Defence personnel supporting reconstruction on the ground
Throughout the response to Hurricane Helene, the National Guard and Department of Defense have been involved in government-wide response efforts in the affected areas. Members of the North Carolina National Guard, along with active duty soldiers and Guardsmen from 15 other states, conducted more than 1,200 ground missions and more than 400 air missions in coordination with the State of North Carolina and under the direction of the Dual Status Commander.
As a result, more than 13,500 tonnes of humanitarian aid have been delivered across the country and nearly 2,000 tonnes more have been airlifted. This includes 614,881 gallons of bulk water, 4,331 pallets of water bottles and 3,108 pallets of food. Service members were active in clearing routes - clearing hundreds of miles of roads, allowing better access to some of the hardest hit areas of the state.
Since the inception of this mission, the primary goal of DoD personnel and equipment on active duty under Title 10 has been to provide immediate, short-term assistance to the most urgent responses. As of last week, Governor Cooper has determined that active duty troops are no longer needed for this phase, and active duty members have transferred their mission to the National Guard and returned to their home bases. The National Guard, in collaboration with FEMA and other federal, state, and local partners, will continue to take an active role in addressing ongoing needs, rebuilding infrastructure, and assisting communities in long-term recovery.
The National Guard still has about 2,000 personnel, 65 vehicles and seven helicopters mobilized in seven states to respond to the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has more than 450 personnel involved in missions in six states - supporting debris removal, temporary power delivery, infrastructure assessments and safe waterways.
Further information here.
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