Dozens still missing in North Carolina weeks after Helene

[Karah Rucker]

WE’RE GETTING AN UPDATE ON THE ONGOING RECOVERY EFFORTS IN NORTH CAROLINA FOLLOWING THE DEVASTATION LEFT BY HURRICANE HELENE.

THIS WEEK, GOVERNOR ROY COOPER SHAREDTHAT 81 PEOPLE REMAIN MISSING IN THE STATE..

INITIALLY, A TASK FORCE HAD BEEN FORMED TO FIND 92 UNACCOUNTED INDIVIDUALS, BUT THAT NUMBER HAS SINCE FLUCTUATED, WITH COOPER REVISING IT DOWN TO 81..

THE GOVERNOR EXPRESSED GRATITUDE TO THOSE INVOLVED IN THE SEARCH EFFORTS AND GAVE AN UPDATE ON THE BROADER RELIEF EFFORTS.

77-THOUSAND PEOPLE HAVE APPLIED FOR RELIEF THROUGH FEMA, WITH 99-MILLION-DOLLARS ALREADY DISTRIBUTED.

FEMA IS ALSO PROVIDING TEMPORARY HOUSING FOR NEARLY TWO-THOUSAND PEOPLE DISPLACED BY THE STORM.

HOWEVER, COOPER ADDRESSED GROWING CONCERNS ABOUT MISINFORMATION CIRCULATING AROUND THE RECOVERY EFFORTS.

HE MADE AN URGENT PLEA, CALLING FOR AN END TO THE FALSE INFORMATION THAT’S HINDERING AID.

Gov. Cooper

“PEOPLE ARE WORKING VERY HARD TO MAKE…WE DON’T WANT THOSE KINDS OF  THINGS TO HAPPEN”

Karah Rucker

THE GOVERNOR DIDN’T HOLD BACK IN HIS COMMENTS ABOUT POLITICAL DYNAMICS AT PLAY EITHER.

COOPER SPECIFICALLY CRITICIZED LT. GOV. MARK ROBINSON, THE REPUBLICAN GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE, FOR ALLEGEDLY CONTRIBUTING TO THE DISINFORMATION CAMPAIGNS.

BEYOND THE MISINFORMATION, THERE HAVE BEEN TROUBLING DEVELOPMENTS CONCERNING SAFETY THREATS AGAINST FEMA WORKERS.

THIS PAST WEEKEND, A MAN WAS ARRESTED FOR ALLEGEDLY THREATENING TO HARM FEMAPERSONNEL.

ACCORDING TO AUTHORITIES, THE MAN ARMED WITH SEVERAL FIREARMS, MADE THREATS AGAINST WORKERS IN RUTHERFORD COUNTY. HE HAS SINCE BEEN RELEASED ON BAIL AND HEADS TO COURT LATER THIS WEEK.

DESPITE THE CHALLENGES, THE GOVERNOR REMAINS OPTIMISTIC ABOUT WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA’S RECOVERY.

FOR SAN, I’M KARAH RUCKER AND WE’LL CONTINUE TO FOLLOW THESE EFFORTS CLOSELY–FOR MORE DOWNLOAD OUR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP