U.S. Senator Shelley Moore-Capito (R-WV) and Vice President Elect JD Vance recently visited the Ashville area of North Carolina to survey the flood damage caused by Hurricane Helene.
While they were there, they spoke with local first responders and residents about the rebuilding process.
Capito says she felt like she was standing in West Virginia as she spoke to the residents and heard their stories.
While local organizations and first responders are working double time to clean up, Capito says “the problems with FEMA and the bureaucracies of FEMA are still troubling to many of the flood victims” in North Carolina.
“FEMA still has the ability to waive some of these bureaucratic standards that are in there so that we could get help to them more immediately. I’ve been imploring FEMA to please step up to the plate and help the folks down in North Carolina. I really felt like I was standing in West Virginia when I saw all of and heard all of the stories, some of them tragic of the way that flood affected that area.”
Sen. Shelley Moore-Capito | (R-WV)
Capito says Vance actually invited her to go with him to survey the area.
“I asked him, I said, ‘Why? Why me? This is not an affected area that I represent it.’ And he said, ‘but it’s Appalachia and you understand disasters and you understand how difficult it is sometimes to answer the call in an emergency situation in rugged terrain, such as they have in Asheville, and we have in West Virginia’.”
Sen. Shelley Moore-Capito | (R-WV)
“[I] learned a lot, that we have a lot of similarities.” Capito said. “Volunteer fire departments, people that step up to help their fellow citizens in incredible ways, Samaritan’s Purse, which is a faith-based organization which is helping to rehab homes and help families get back on their feet.