Hurricane Helene haunts the midterms in North Carolina
Two years after the deadly storm, voters are frustrated with a slow recovery — and that could carry a political price.
Hurricane Helene's memory lingers as North Carolina voters weigh midterm elections. The storm, which struck in 2023, caused nearly $60 billion in damage and left many residents still rebuilding. Only 5 percent of Western North Carolina residents report being "very satisfied" with how officials are handling the recovery. A poll shows that 50 percent of North Carolinians are dissatisfied with the government's response to the disaster.
In North Carolina's 11th Congressional District, a toss-up race, Democrat Roy Cooper, who was governor when the storm hit, leads Republican Michael Whatley by a double-digit margin. Whatley, who was appointed by President Trump as the federal recovery czar, has been criticized for his handling of the recovery effort. A recent investigation found no communication between Whatley and FEMA in the two years after the storm. Despite the controversy, both campaigns are shifting their focus to economic and crime issues.
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