President Donald Trump’s administration has taken over disaster response efforts in North Carolina, moving at a speed that FEMA under the Biden administration failed to match. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced that 80% of outstanding cases had been addressed in just five days, dramatically improving relief efforts for those affected by Hurricane Helene.
Trump personally visited North Carolina and promised residents that the delays under Biden’s FEMA would not continue. “Some residents still don’t have hot water, drinking water, or anything else,” he said, calling the situation unacceptable. He noted that half of the emergency calls to FEMA had gone unanswered when Biden was in charge.
The Trump administration has already secured $54 million in aid and registered 2,600 additional families for assistance. Noem highlighted the administration’s focus on cutting through bureaucracy and ensuring victims receive help quickly. “FEMA can often be slow and confusing with a lot of paperwork. I heard that over and over again today. And we’re going to fix that,” she said.
FEMA has long been criticized for its failures, from its response to Hurricane Katrina to its more recent struggles in California. Trump has suggested that FEMA’s inefficiencies may be beyond repair and is considering replacing the agency entirely. He has already signed an executive order to examine the agency’s structure and effectiveness.
Noem suggested that shifting FEMA’s responsibilities to state and local governments could be the best solution. She stated that Trump is exploring a system where disaster relief funds are distributed directly to communities instead of being managed by FEMA. “President Trump has committed, and I’m committed with him, to bringing FEMA into the 21st century,” she said.
Despite FEMA’s report that 153,000 households have received some form of assistance, Trump and Noem have made it clear that their focus is on ensuring a faster and more effective system. The administration’s rapid response in North Carolina has intensified discussions about the future of FEMA and whether it should continue to exist in its current form.
