Author of How to Prep When You’re Broke and Bloom Where You’re Planted online course
There’s a horrible humanitarian crisis afoot in Western North Carolina and Eastern Tennessee, places that aren’t generally greatly affected by hurricanes. And the federal government, again, is late to the game.
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.
To be clear – people will later be able to apply for additional aid from FEMA, who offers loans, housing, and other assistance. But that’s no guarantee they’ll be approved for it.
The real heroes
The real heroes in this situation have not come from the government or officials who seem to be big-dogging rescue and relief efforts of private citizens.
They’re the civilians who have poured into the area and made their way to every corner of these hills and hollers. They’re going on foot, by mule, by horseback, by ATVs, and using private planes and helicopters to save these folks stranded in the mountains without food or running water, and many without even a house left standing.
There are people like Elon Musk, who quickly dispatched a team to disperse Starlink units by helicopter to try to reconnect people to the outside world. There’s the racecar driver
Then there are the neighbors. Western North Carolina is a unique place in that it still has that sense of community. People are helping others – if they have a home standing, they’re letting their neighbors shelter with them. If they have a generator they’re offering up power strips to charge your phone. They’re out there slogging through the mud and trying to help because they have figured out that the government isn’t there to save them.
What’s the real story?
FEMA won’t tell you any of this. In fact, this webpage quickly popped up on FEMA’s website, “debunking” the rumors surrounding their response to Helene in some kind of weird pre-emptive strike. What they say is in direct opposition from what many people who have survived this disaster have experienced.
This video is the best compilation I’ve seen of the quick videos people have made sharing their experiences. If you want to know the real stories, ask the people who lived there, not the government. Some of this is hard to watch, especially for folks who have ties in the Appalachians. But I think it’s important to bear witness to what they’ve experienced.
It gets worse.
FEMA is actively getting in the way of relief. See the video below to see how they’re using their helicopters not to get out there and airdrop supplies or rescue people, but as runway blockades so that civilians can’t do it either.
VIDEO PROOF: FEMA Helicopters Are Blocking Greenville South Carolina Airport
Private citizens were flying aid to victims and FEMA came and BLOCKED THE RUNWAY to stop them
VIDEO PROOF: FEMA Helicopters Are Blocking Greenville South Carolina Airport
Private citizens were flying aid to victims and FEMA came and BLOCKED THE RUNWAY to stop them
“We’re at the airport today. Yesterday, they ran, like, 30 something planes — And FEMA has flown in, like,… pic.twitter.com/kx0qzljkXd
— Wall Street Apes (@WallStreetApes) October 6, 2024
There are a number of rumors with only word of mouth evidence of officials blocking rescue efforts and taking over donation distributions.
If you want to help, and you want to make sure your donation goes to actually assist the folks who need it, I recommend Samaritan’s Purse or a local church there in the area.
This is a disgrace.
I could go on and on about how the government has fallen short on this, but I don’t want to take away from the real crisis happening now. Kamala Harris is to busy announcing a crap ton of money being delivered to the humanitarian crisis in Lebanon, and helping them rebuild, to care about our own citizens.
The people of Lebanon are facing an increasingly dire humanitarian situation. I am concerned about the security and well-being of civilians suffering in Lebanon and will continue working to help meet the needs of all civilians there.
To that end, the United States will provide…
— Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) October 5, 2024
We shouldn’t be surprised. It happened in Maui too. The government demonstrably made things worse.
Help is not coming. We can only count on ourselves. This is just more proof.
What do you think?
Later we’ll talk about some potential reasons that there are entities which might not want to see the area rebound, but for today, I want to focus on those who are struggling in the aftermath of Helene, no matter where they may be. I know that a number of our readers are in that area, and I really hope to hear from you soon.
What do you think about the clusterf*ck of a government response? Do you have any firsthand knowledge of the situation?
Let’s discuss it in the comments section.
About Daisy
Daisy Luther is a coffee-swigging, adventure-seeking, globe-trotting blogger. She is the founder and publisher of three websites. 1) The Organic Prepper, which is about current events, preparedness, self-reliance, and the pursuit of liberty; 2) The Frugalite, a website with thrifty tips and solutions to help people get a handle on their personal finances without feeling deprived; and 3) PreppersDailyNews.com, an aggregate site where you can find links to all the most important news for those who wish to be prepared. Her work is widely republished across alternative media and she has appeared in many interviews.
Daisy is the best-selling author of 5 traditionally published books, 12 self-published books, and runs a small digital publishing company with PDF guides, printables, and courses at SelfRelianceand Survival.com You can find her on Facebook, Pinterest, Gab, MeWe, Parler, Instagram, and Twitter.
It is intentional. The hill people have always been independent and impossible to control. This our rulers’ chance to empty the hills, destroy the culture and grab the land and resources. There needs to be trials and punishment for the creeps that did this.
I’m a descendant of NC and TN mountain people and proud of it. They do not deserve to be treated like this.
Have you all forgotten how Kamala wants us all begging her for a loaf of bread?
If anyone is indifferent,unsympathetic or calloused towards the folks of WNC after this. You are my enemy.
You all need to understand that t his was not a natural event. Virtually the instant gov. DeSantis stated that the state of Florida was going to investigate the golf course assassination attempt on Trump, this storm was literally fired up, from nothing, then rapidly seeded, energized with laser and norad, then steered via norad, energized more and steered along the entire path it traveled. NO, this is not conspiracy. This is fact. There are many patents that show you the military technology that performs these functions. NORAD radars have been retrofitted with extreme electric cables so as to allow extreme energy to supply the needs of these energy weaponized radars. There is a military paper titled controlling the weather by 2025 or 2024……an army paper written decades ago. All of the horrific hurricanes of the last 20 years have been due to this weaponized military behavior. You can learn much about weather warfare etc at geoengineeringwatch.org.
Alex Jones did an excellent report on this, yet again, just these past several days.
Wake the hell up people.
Kick FEMA to the curb. Get them out of your area
Do not allow these fema thugs to leave. Teach them a lesson they will never forget. Show them how brutal you can be.
My home is western NC, and Daisy is correct, that GovCo is slow, stupid, and inefficient at best, and indeed, a hindrance in the moment when people need information and help Now. Local AM talk radio has been by far the best source for information. I was very glad to have my emergency radio in my preps. For those of us in the area who were prepared, it’s a great opportunity to teach the many, many unprepared people a bit about preparedness. I even got to correct one guy on the fallacy of so-called price gouging. The situation is, for sure, a terrible one for many who lost everything, and in spite of my relatively good situation I am shell shocked by the magnitude of destruction and the plight of the people. The scale of damage to water, electric, sanitation, communication, and transportation infrastructure boggles the mind. It’s hard knowing that people are still missing. There’s one person I still don’t know about. But a lot of people are helping their neighbors and engaging in various efforts to assist in the many needs that abound. If you are inclined to donate to relief, Daisy has good suggestions, and I would add the following:
Asheville Buncombe Community Christian Ministry https://www.abccm.org/
Also, the Salvation Army and Red Cross have relatively low overhead/administrative costs so donations do largely get to the people.
Would love your prayers.
Thanks
Fema and united way won’t allow nurses or NP in. NP, RNs and Lpn’s have the skills to triage and help those affected. They only want the brain washed Red cross nurses. Sound familiar? They only want healthcare staff they control.
Deep ties in the area. Holy God, Katrina II – Helene in Appalachia NC/TN
I remember the horror and grief I felt when I realized the federal government was abandoning Katrina survivors in New Orleans. I was sick with grief. I talked to an old man at the post office, expressing my turmoil. He said “They’re letting them go.” Today I feel the same, realizing the Feds are intentionally standing down aid and rescue op’s to Western Carolina, East Tennessee, and parts of Georgia and other states.
Black Mountain and Chimney Rock, Lake Lure, were hit with 20 inches of rain. I have kin in these areas and in these mountains. Reports are there are 19 private choppers to 1 government helicopter flying missions. Word is local “officials” ordering civilian teams to exit the areas. Their aid and help is being refused – Just like the Texas school shooting not long ago, where a heroic mother leapt the school fence and rescued her two children while police “officers” stood doing nothing but block people from entering.
– Just like Katrina, when the mayor flew his buddies and very-wealthy individuals out on a chopper, leaving everyone else to die. While the police and feds went door to door confiscating weapons. Where one heroic lady Preacher pointed her sidearm at the lawless police and said “I’m gonna letcha have it, buddy.” She backed them down and upheld the Constitution – they did not rob her.
– Just like in Hawaii so recently when a lower working class area was wiped out (by weather warfare, it is sure), and the government told the people “your homes now belong to us. You can’t go back.” Where people were arrested for trying to return to their abodes. Where hundreds of children disappeared without a trace or explanation.
This is evil in our midst, and Satan thy name is “Government”. They’re going to weather warfare us all, and “let us go”. Chemical plant us. Confiscate our property and kidnap our children, leave us to die. It is going to get very grim indeed from here on out, my friends. Praise be to Jesus, to God and to your God, by whatever name you call him or her.
God is my Saviour. Please pray to yours. Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name. God helps those, it is said, who help themselves. We are all on our own now, standing as children before God. Choose your way wisely and build your craft carefully. Your vessel will carry you until God calls you home to Heaven.
God’s will thy be done,
Amen
Do not be a dumbass, organic prepper. There is captured video showing how this storm was created, strengthened, and steered.