Gov. Roy Cooper vowed Wednesday that the state government will continue to provide the resources Western North Carolina communities need to recover from Tropical Storm Helene. “This is a true all-hands-on-deck moment,” Cooper said. In a wide-ranging briefing, officials touched on a number of topics related to the Helene response. Notably, Cooper called out the effects of wide-reaching disinformation that has been spreading in Helene’s wake; FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell vowed to keep significant assets in North Carolina even as the agency responds to Hurricane Milton’s impending landfall in Florida; and Cooper called for direct assistance for small businesses impacted by the storm.

Other State Leaders Flocking to WNC to Assess Damage, Response

Where once were surging floodwaters, now elected representatives from both the federal and state level are pouring into Western North Carolina and Haywood County, touring damaged areas, talking to local officials about needs and thanking first responders for their service to their communities.

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, with FEMA Administrator Deanna Criswell in tow, continued his multi-day western swing on Oct. 4, making stops in Haywood and Jackson Counties. On Oct. 8, Sen. Thom Tillis visited the same complex Cooper had a few days before, saying he was pleased with the overall response by FEMA. Mark Pless, Haywood County’s Republican representative in the General Assembly, said that House Speaker Tim Moore, R-Cleveland, met with leaders in Canton on Oct. 4, delivering supplies and moving onto Clyde, Waynesville and the Crabtree Fire Department before joining the mayors of Hot Springs and Marshall in Madison County, which Pless also represents. Rep. Destin Hall, R-Caldwell, and Rep. Karl Gillespie, R-Macon, accompanied Pless to Marshall and Hot Springs again on Oct. 6.