President Donald Trump on Monday announced the deployment of the United States Army Corps of Engineers to North Carolina to assist with repairing riverbanks and roads damaged by Hurricane Helene.
During his visit to the state on Friday, Trump expressed frustration with the Biden administration’s delayed response to the devastation in western North Carolina, saying he did not know “what took so long” and pledging that his administration would provide “the resources” and support needed to help the affected communities rebuild.
“We have a lot of things in mind, and we’re getting the Army Corps of Engineers all set,” Trump said. “You need your riverbanks fixed. You need a lot of roads fixed. And, we’re going to get it done in rapid time, and I’ve asked Susie Wiles and all of my people to start calling up.
“Get the Corps ready, and they’re going to get ready to go. I don’t know what it is. I don’t know what took so long for the other administration,” Trump added, per Breitbart News.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which has roughly “37,000 dedicated Civilians and Soldiers delivering engineering services to customers in more than 130 countries worldwide,” works “diligently to strengthen” the security of the U.S. “by building and maintaining America’s infrastructure and providing military facilities where our servicemembers train, work and live,” according to the organization’s website.
The site adds: “Under the National Response Framework (NRF) and authorities of the Stafford Act; USACE works under the direction of FEMA as a member of the federal team to support State and Local governments in responding to major disasters.”
The website notes further:
Each year, the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) deploys hundreds of its trained personnel and resources across the United States and its territories to respond to emergencies and aid in disaster response recovery. Under the National Response Framework (NRF) and authorities of the Stafford Act; USACE works under the direction of FEMA as a member of the federal team to support State and Local governments in responding to major disasters. USACE also has its own authority to directly respond to State and Local needs related to flooding or coastal emergencies under Public Law 84-99.”
Trump made sure to tell local residents during his visit that he wasn’t in office “for the first four months or three months, whatever it may be” and added that his administration could “only start” as of a few days ago.
“We’re going to get you the resources you need and the support that you deserve. And, we’ll be at your side through every step of the rebuilding and no American is going to be left behind,” Trump said, according to Breitbart.
Several areas in western North Carolina, including the Village of Chimney Rock, Asheville, and Swannanoa, experienced catastrophic flooding, severe landslides, and extensive damage to roads, homes, and communities due to Hurricane Helene. Other regions in Georgia, Florida, eastern Tennessee, and southwestern Virginia also suffered from severe flooding and landslides due to Helene.
Although FEMA announced in an October press release that it had provided “more than $45 million” in Hurricane Helene relief efforts, many North Carolina residents criticized former President Joe Biden and his administration for their handling of the disaster response.
Several residents revealed that they had been left to fend for themselves and had seen no signs of FEMA, while other residents said the Biden administration “took too long” to respond. Also, others said that FEMA workers under Biden-Harris were directed by at least one supervisor to skip houses and property that contained signage or other items indicating their support for Trump, according to multiple reports.
