Renee Scheidt: Help is on the way
Published 12:00 am Tuesday, January 28, 2025
By Renee Coates Scheidt
A new day has dawned in America. For many of us, especially our N.C. mountain people, it’s been a long time coming. Four months ago, western N.C. was destroyed by Hurricane Helene. Entire towns were carried away by mudslides, raging flood waters and high winds. Roads were washed out, leaving survivors isolated with no means of escape. Electricity and water were wiped out, as were communication systems. Nearly 200,000 people were impacted by this natural disaster. Over 100,000 homes were damaged or destroyed. Damages are estimated at over $59.6 billion. The death count is 104, which doesn’t include those who were swept away by the deluge. Families wait, hoping their loved ones’ bodies might be recovered as cadaver dogs rake through the mud and muck. In some places the entire landscape has been obliterated, making it impossible to rebuild.
Such horrible catastrophes are the reason why FEMA was established in 1979. This federal agency’s mission is to help communities recover from such disasters. It’s a sad reality, however, that FEMA’s response to our people has been woefully inadequate. Some N.C. citizens have stated they saw no signs of FEMA and were left to fend for themselves. Thankfully these iron-willed folks have a “get’er done” mentality and haven’t stood around waiting to be rescued.
Jordan Lanning, a resident of Asheville, stated that the Biden administration’s response to Hurricane Helene had been “too late…they took too long… it took them five days to get here… it took five days for Biden to come here and he didn’t think we were worth coming down to see us himself, he had to fly over on his way to Raleigh. It’s disgraceful; they keep saying, ‘We the People.’ There is no ‘We the People,’ it’s them versus us. They’re not for us.”
Amid such ruin and darkness, there have been beams of shining light. Rescue, relief and recovery efforts have come from numerous individuals and companies. Caring people from many different states have given their money, time and physical energy to help our citizens in need. Sixty-two members of the Pennsylvania Amish community built 12 tiny homes in under 48 hours costing over $300,000, for which they paid. Helicopters and small planes were donated to reach the stranded. The United Ragin’ Cajun’ Navy wasted no time arriving to assist in the disaster relief. Samaritan’s Purse, led by Franklin Graham and located in Boone, was one of the first to be on the ground to meet the needs. The Southern Baptist Disaster Relief, Salvation Army Disaster Relief, American Red Cross and numerous other organizations brought clothing, hot meals, as well as emotional and spiritual support. Members of the church in LA where I served as music director in the 1980s called me to say they were on their way with chain saws, and a food truck. Seeing these labors of love demonstrated by total strangers reminds us of what being an American is all about.
Some have said that Biden’s slow and unsatisfactory response to N.C. is because a majority of WNC is Republican. Insisting that all the red tape be adhered to while families are sleeping in tents in the snow is beyond ridiculous. Kamala’s offer of $750 per person to those who applied for help was not only laughable but an insult, especially when compared to the billions they’ve given to Ukraine and illegal immigrants.
The good news is help is on the way. In his first week in office, President Trump made the first trip of his presidency to our state, showing his priority to put Americans first. Trump, who called Biden’s response to our crisis a “disgrace” and a “betrayal,” said, “I’m going to North Carolina, which has been abandoned by the Democrats. I’m going to North Carolina very importantly first, I’ll be there on Friday.” He was true to his word.
Yes, it’s a new day. Thank God our people will receive much-needed aid. Although we should never depend on the government to meet our every need, it is good to see our tax dollars spent on legal citizens first instead of “we the people” being pushed to the back of the line.