NORTH CAROLINA (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — Sen. Tedd Budd says a communication breakdown is to blame after dozens of displaced Hurricane Helene victims were forced out of hotels the past few days.
Senators for the Tar Heel State took to X on Tuesday night, expressing frustration with the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Both Budd and Sen. Thom Tillis wrote that their offices had received calls from dozens of people in Western North Carolina who had been kicked out of hotels. Tillis accused FEMA of causing unnecessary pain for families, arguing that if the agency had enough boots on the ground, people would not have been forced out in the first place.
In a statement to Queen City News, a spokesperson for Budd said those displaced survivors were back in hotels as of Wednesday, adding that staff worked with FEMA officials line by line to resolve any issues.
“Last night, Senator Budd and his team got in touch with FEMA leadership and went line-by-line, person-by-person to identify issues, fix communication breakdowns, and get eligible individuals back into hotels. Senator Budd continues to encourage anyone in need of help to get in touch with his office directly at Budd.Senate.Gov.”
In an interview with Fox News Sunday, FEMA’s administrator insisted communication between the agency and survivors needed to be a two-way street.
“If we don’t hear from them, the only thing we can do is assume that they’ve been back in their home,” said Deanne Criswell. “And so one of the things I want to make sure if somebody has received that notification, but they haven’t talked to somebody at FEMA and their situation is still in need, they are still eligible.”
To be eligible, survivors must have a residence that is uninhabitable or inaccessible. Displaced families need to allow inspections and respond to FEMA when they reach out.
“Everybody’s going to have a unique circumstance,” added Criswell. “Everybody’s going to have a unique situation. We need to work with them all individually to make sure we’re getting them the right resource, so they can continue to stay in a safe place until their home is either rebuilt or it’s accessible.”
The temporary sheltering program was set to expire this week but has now been extended until Jan. 25.
