Today, North Carolina Senators Thom Tillis and Richard Burr issued the following statement on the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) response to North Carolina’s request for individual assistance following Hurricane Dorian:

“Yesterday, following FEMA’s announcement that four North Carolina counties do not qualify for individual assistance, our offices met with representatives from N.C. Emergency Management and Governor Cooper’s office to discuss next steps. In that meeting, Governor Cooper’s staff acknowledged they knew when they submitted their request that there was a strong likelihood it would be denied. They also confirmed that FEMA’s decision was based on data from the counties collected in partnership with the state.

“We strongly support requesting any potential federal aid, but misleading North Carolinians about why FEMA made their decision does a gross disservice to the men, women, and families who are still rebuilding their lives. Thankfully, the state has assured us they have adequate funds to cover the needs in Carteret, Dare, Hyde, and New Hanover counties. We urge the governor not to draw this process out by filing an appeal. Instead, he should activate available state programs that can get necessary funding to impacted areas without delay.”

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