Vice President-elect JD Vance assured residents of western North Carolina who are still recovering from Hurricane Helene on Friday that they have not been forgotten as he assessed storm debris and spoke with first responders in one of his first public appearances since the election.
Vance said he was visiting since the holidays are approaching and he wanted to offer some comfort to people affected by the disaster as they work to rebuild their homes and livelihoods.
“My simple message to the people of Appalachia is that we haven’t forgotten you—we love you,” said Vance, who rose to prominence after writing about the region in his memoir “Hillbilly Elegy.”
He went on: “Certainly when this administration changes hands in the next 45 days, we’re going to do everything that we can to help people rebuild, to get them back on their feet, to bring some commerce back to this area, but, most importantly, to allow people to live in their homes.”
The hurricane hit in late September. In North Carolina, the state government estimates that the storm caused $53 billion in damage and necessitated modifications to protect against future natural disasters. More than 100 North Carolina people died as a result of the storm, which damaged over 120,000 homes, at least 6,000 miles (9,700 kilometers) of roadways, and over 160 sewer and water systems.
The new vice president and his wife, Usha, went to the Fairview Volunteer Fire Department, where they learned that the building had flooded with 4 to 6 inches of water and that perhaps a dozen people had developed walking pneumonia while responding to the hurricane’s devastation. Due to power disruptions, some first responders and their families were unable to communicate with one another over several days. At least one firefighter died while attempting to save lives in the storm.
Vance also visited a house that is being rebuilt following the hurricane. Samaritan’s Purse, an evangelical Christian charity led by Franklin Graham, son of the late pastor Billy Graham, is overseeing the building. Billy Graham was noted for his strong contacts with US presidents.
“We want you to have the best Christmas you possibly can have, despite the circumstances,” Vance said in a message to locals after speaking with media.
More than 60% of voters in Buncombe County, where Vance was on Friday, supported the Democratic nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris, in the November presidential election. Asheville, which leans liberal, is well-known for its lively cultural scene and the tourist attraction Biltmore Estate. Helene caused significant damage in the city’s arts area.
However, the majority of North Carolina voters favored President-elect Donald Trump, and he performed better among voters affected by Hurricane Helene. The Republican slammed the Biden administration’s aid efforts, which President Joe Biden described as “un-American” falsehoods.
According to the AP VoteCast, a large survey of the electorate, 26% of North Carolina voters said the hurricane damaged their life by causing property damage, extended power outages, or interfering with their ability to vote. Trump earned 53% of the votes.
Aside from shepherding Trump’s Cabinet choices around Capitol Hill, Vance has mainly remained out of the public glare since the election on November 5.
Vance supported Pete Hegseth following his tour of the region, claiming that Trump’s defense secretary nominee deserved a Senate confirmation hearing rather than a “sham hearing before the American media” amid claims of sexual assault and excessive alcohol use.
The incoming vice president also stated that he did not know if he would be accompanying Kash Patel, Trump’s nominee for FBI director, around the Senate next week.
North Carolina lawmakers have already provided more than $900 million in disaster relief funds, but Gov. Roy Cooper has requested at least $3.9 billion. The Democratic governor and senior state officials have sought the federal government for $25 billion in assistance.
Hundreds of miles of roads have been restored, and water systems are operational again, but progress has been gradual. Just two weeks ago, more than 100,000 western North Carolina residents were informed that they may once again use Asheville’s water system to bathe and drink from the tap. A devastated water supply in at least one remote county could take years to repair.
Many Republicans and citizens criticized the federal government and Cooper’s administration for their first recovery efforts. Housing for displaced residents for the winter has been a worry, and some Cooper allies have faulted Republican lawmakers for neglecting to provide assistance to small businesses in danger of failure and housing renters facing eviction.