Despite being struck by the worst natural calamity in modern history, Hurricane Helene, two months ago, the restoration process in the western region of North Carolina has been marred by political squabbling and an apparent lack of focus. Unlike in Washington, where the disaster response has generally stayed away from any partisan engagement, the same cannot be said for the state, where other issues evidently take precedence. The Democratic President, Joe Biden, recently proposed a hefty $100 billion funding bill dedicated to disaster recovery for North Carolina and other states deeply affected by severe weather occurrences. However, with the potential for a government shutdown looming before the year’s end due to the expiration of the current spending plan on December 20th, it’s uncertain whether the funds will come through.
In order to prevent such a shutdown, a fresh spending plan needs to be ratified, which could open the door for the inclusion of the aforementioned disaster relief aid. At present, no such bill has been drafted, but there is an expectation that one will surface in the near future. If such a bill comes into existence and is successfully assembled, it’s highly probable North Carolina would receive a gargantuan financial boost from the federal government. However, skeptics have voiced concerns about the current administration’s prioritization and commitment to disaster relief over other matters.
State official records classify Hurricane Helene as the most devastating storm in North Carolina’s history, causing a whopping $53 billion worth of destruction. To put things into perspective, the state legislature has only sanctioned $877 million thus far in aid relief, which pales in comparison, amounting to a miniscule 1.6% of the total damages incurred. The state’s spending capacity is generating contrasting opinions from local representatives.
A handful of political figures praise the state’s financial contribution to disaster relief, while others lambast it as grotesquely inadequate. Despite the diverse range of opinions, one thing is universally agreed upon: the bulk of the recovery responsibility will inevitably fall on the shoulders of the federal government. The debate revolves around exactly how much the federal government is willing to provide; a question of grave concern to state and local leaders.
The complications surrounding covering the hefty bill of $50 billion was highlighted by state Senator Ralph Hise, who conjectured that the only entity with the financial capabilities to effectively bail out the state is the U.S. Congress. Hise criticized Congress for seemingly prioritizing foreign entities ahead of domestic disaster relief, calling for a reconsideration of priorities to reallocate resources to restore and rebuild North Carolina.
The exacerbating factor in all of this is the undeniable influence of climate change, which has been blamed for the increase in the potency of hurricanes over recent years. The link between warming oceans, which precipitate storms with high wind velocities and greater rainfall, has been clearly established. And this has the potential to push hurricanes from Category 1 to Category 3, or escalate a Category 4 storm right up to a Category 5, all rather quickly.
Such meteorological escalations were shockingly illustrated by Hurricane Helene, as nobody anticipated the storm to maintain its strength upon hitting the Appalachian mountains. During these turbulent times, it’s essential to implement lessons from Covid-19 and recognize that the recovery phase from such calamities is an extended affair, unlike anything previously experienced.
In an address to the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Tillis proffered, ‘This may be an inaugural incident for North Carolina but will assuredly not be the last of its kind. We can take this opportunity to learn from it, rake our brains for innovative tactics, or we may find ourselves nursing regret later.’ The implication here, which seems to be lost on Biden and his team, is that it requires forward-thinking leadership, not mere reactionary politics.
Though the federal government soon will consolidate under homogenous political directives, this is in stark contrast to the current political landscape in North Carolina. Projected to last till 2027 at the very least, Republicans maintain control over the state legislature, which entitles them to determine the allocation and specific use of funds, including disaster aid.
The Democratic party, however, holds control over the governor’s office and thereby manages the execution of these relief efforts. This dichotomy naturally sparks accusations and finger-pointing in Raleigh, as Democrats and Republicans attempt to shift blame for blunders onto the other, either by citing insufficient funding levels or mismanaged implementations.
Hise lamented this messy recovery situation, saying, ‘This certainly isn’t a brisk recovery for western North Carolina.’ Indeed, should the relief efforts continue in their current manner, marked by political infighting and the Biden administration’s lack of focus, the process might stretch out over multiple years, prolonging the state’s suffering.