#helene Erasing America - facing the devastation of Helene and the failure of FEMA

The strongest hurricane on record to strike the Big Bend region of Florida, the deadliest for the United States since 2017, and the deadliest in mainland US since 2005. Helene developed gradually from a mid-September disturbance in the Caribbean. By September 24, Helene had grown enough to become a tropical storm as it entered the Gulf.

It became a hurricane early September 25. and late on September 26, made landfall, with maximum sustained winds of 140 mph. Helene weakened as it moved inland, downgrading to a post-tropical cyclone over Tennessee on September 27, and stalled over the state before dissipating on September 29.

Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia and Tennessee are declared a state of emergency. According to reinsurance broker Gallagher Re the estimated insured losses could reach US$3–6 billion. Now that number has grown to over $30 billion. The storm has broken almost every record in the region and over a week later, almost a million Americans remain without power, and the death toll has surpassed 200.

On October 2nd, VP Harris announces a $750 payment to each household as relief from the storm damages. Then informed people to contact FEMA to register. This on the heals of the Biden administration’s latest infusion of more than $2.7 billion in military aid for Ukraine and the promise of billions more.

Americans are left in awe of the callous disregard of the needs of our citizens in favor of a country that has received historic amounts of aide. On October 3rd, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas tells reporters, FEMA will not have enough money to survive the 2024 season. And then news hits that $630.9 million of FEMA funds have been used to aide immigrants instead of Americans in 2024 alone.

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