FAIRVIEW, N.C. (AP) — In one of his first public appearances since the November election, vice president-elect JD Vance on Friday examined Hurricane Helene damage and spoke with first responders in western North Carolina.
According to a state official estimate, the hurricane that hit North Carolina in late September inflicted damage of at least $53 billion. The storm killed over 100 people in North Carolina and, according to the state, damaged over 160 water and sewer systems, over 120,000 residences, and at least 6,000 miles (9,700 kilometers) of roadways.
While visiting the Fairview Volunteer Fire Department with his wife, Usha, the incoming vice president discovered that the structure had flooded with 4 to 6 inches of water and that about a dozen people had contracted walking pneumonia while responding to the devastation caused by the hurricane. Some first responders were unable to communicate with their own families for several days due to power disruptions.
Vance listened to a presentation and remarked, “I imagine you guys were working nonstop at the height of it.”
Vance crossed into Democratic territory by traveling to the Asheville region. In the November presidential election, more than 60% of Buncombe County voters supported Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris. Asheville, which leans liberal, is well-known for its thriving arts community and the Biltmore Estate, a popular tourist destination. Helene caused significant harm to the city’s arts district.
However, Donald Trump was favored by most North Carolina voters, and he performed better overall among voters who were impacted by Hurricane Helene. President Joe Biden called the Republican’s scathing criticism of the Biden administration’s rescue efforts “unAmerican misinformation.”
26% of North Carolina voters said the hurricane impacted their life by causing damage to their houses, prolonged power outages, or making it difficult for them to cast a ballot, according to AP VoteCast, a comprehensive survey of the electorate. Of those voters, 53% voted for Trump.
Other than escorting Trump’s Cabinet candidates around Capitol Hill, Vance has mostly avoided the spotlight since the election.
Governor Roy Cooper of North Carolina has requested at least $3.9 billion for disaster aid, although state lawmakers have already allotted over $900 million. Now, the Democratic governor and other state officials are requesting $25 billion in aid from the federal government.
Although the process has been sluggish, hundreds of kilometers of highways have been reopened and water supplies have been restored. Just two weeks ago, more than 100,000 residents in western North Carolina were informed that they could once again bathe and drink from the tap using water from Asheville’s water system. Rebuilding a damaged water supply in at least one remote county might take years.
The federal government’s and Cooper’s administration’s initial recovery efforts were criticized by many Republicans and locals. Concerns have been raised about accommodation for displaced residents for the winter, and Cooper’s supporters have accused GOP lawmakers of neglecting to give assistance to small businesses that could fail and lodging for renters who could be evicted.
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