On September 26, Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida and then swept on an unusual path through Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Tennessee on the 27th. This isn't to say that we in North Carolina, away from the coast, are never affected by hurricanes, but it's usually heavy rain and a bit of wind. Certainly, folks 400 miles away from the coast are not accustomed to catastrophic hurricanes.

In fact, something like what's going on in WNC right now is unprecedented – a once in a thousand year storm. We still have no idea of the death toll – current estimates are quite low from what is expected. People were caught in landslides, floods, their homes and cars washed away, and they've been stranded for more than a week.

The government response
It's difficult to keep it PG-13 when discussing the "official response." However much you hate your government, it isn't as much as they appear to hate us.

It wasn't until October 2, five days later, that "President" Biden ordered the military to help. They arrived on the sixth day but, as you'll see, were given very specific orders. FEMA arrived to "help" on the Friday after the storm – a full week after it had originally hit the area. But their Search and Rescue units still hadn't arrived. FEMA set up a lonely tent someplace hidden from view and expected folks with no power, no internet, sometimes no homes and no cars, to just magically find them.

And if you were among those lucky enough to find the tent, then…well…they "registered" you and gave you a flyer so you could go online and apply for aid.

How the heck are folks with no power, no water, no internet, and no cell signal supposed to go online?

For those able to go online and apply for $750 for immediate assistance…well, a bunch of folks stood in the ruins of their homes and discovered they were not eligible for the relief. And for those who are eligible, for many, it's a loan that must be paid back.