After Hurricane Matthew slammed into North Carolina last October, triggering evacuations and killing more than 20 people, state officials went to the federal government for help. The state asked for $929 million, most of which would go toward initiatives like fixing homes damaged by flooding, supporting farmers who lost livestock and funding mental health services for survivors.
This week, the state discovered it was likely getting $6.1 million—less than 1 percent of the amount requested.Related: Hurricane Matthew’s North Carolina Toll: 26 Dead, $1.5B in DamageGov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat, angrily called out the discrepancy Wednesday in a letter to President Donald Trump, House Speaker Paul Ryan, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, and Housing and Urban Development secretary Ben Carson.”Families across eastern North Carolina need help to rebuild and recover, and it is an incredible failure by the Trump administration and Congressional leaders to turn their backs,” Cooper said in a statement. “Matthew was a historic storm, and we are still working every day to help families return home and rebuild their communities. North Carolinians affected by this storm cannot be ignored by the Trump Administration and Congressional leadership
He attached a list of the initiatives that wouldn’t be funded due to the shortage: repairs for homeowners, renters and people in public housing; health and mental health services; upgrades for storm infrastructure; and buyout, elevation and reconstruction of nearly 4,000 properties.
