FEMA had a location in Boone starting in mid October to help people sign up for long term relief. But there were wild rumors to the contrary spreading on Facebook (I assume via other means as well).
I have a place and family in the mountains. Fortunately, our place was fine though I did have to go get my mom b/c she had no power or water or internet and the roads were impassable in one direction and barely passable (downed trees and power lines) in the other.
It was shocking to see the extent of damage in Blowing Rock and Boone and out to Seven Devils. A lot of those scars are still there all over the place. Saw a ton of National Guard trucks up there and a bunch of trucks hauling supplies up the mountain.
I did get my windshield cracked driving on 105 (heavy vehicle in front of us spin up gravel). The guy who came to fix it was nice and professional. When he asked about how it got damaged, I told him and he told me he heard what turned out to be a list of wild rumors, including that Blowing Rock had been destroyed (I assured him it was still there but he was clearly skeptical). I told him about the supply and National Guard trucks as hopefully a good sign. He said no, I must be mistaken, that was probably Samaritan’s Purse, not the National Guard. He heard only Samaritan’s Purse was helping Boone.
I told him that I am sure SP was quite active — their office was right there on 321 — but that the National Guard is also there. I literally saw trucks and guards repeatedly — a convoy going up 321, a group seeming to be gathering on 105, a group gathering in the remains of the WalMart parking lot. He seemed genuinely confused (and likely just told himself I wouldn’t know the difference between a clearly marked fleet of National Guard trucks and SP I guess).
The extent of the damage was/is staggering and the breadth of response needed overwhelming. I have read about so many people of good will helping out — men came down from PA to build modular tiny homes to help with housing needs, people brought in supplies as they could and a lot of charity groups came in to help. By many accounts, like Yosef, Samaritan’s Purse was there helping a lot of people. But FEMA was there and so was the National Guard. All the misinformation made the National Guard and moreso FEMA invisible to people who were certain the Biden Administration was refusing to help.
Which doesn’t mean FEMA couldn’t be improved, because like any organization massive or small, there is no doubt it can be improved.