undefined | Mullin visits town devastated by Hurricane Helene, promises reforms to FEMA

Markwayne Mullin, the new Department of Homeland Security secretary, made his first official trip to Chimney Rock, North Carolina – a small mountain town still reeling from Hurricane Helene’s September 2024 deluge that dumped 22.5 inches of rain, buried half the homes along the Rocky Broad River in a 15‑foot‑deep debris field, and closed Chimney Rock State Park for nine months. Inside the town’s fire department, Mullin told local leaders he intends to shift FEMA’s role from being the primary on‑scene responder to a funding conduit that empowers state and local governments to lead the initial “heavy lift” of disaster recovery.

During a round‑table with GOP Sen. Ted Budd, emergency responders, and FEMA officials, Mullin pledged to speed up approvals for the 22 open major disasters as hurricane season approaches on June 1. He highlighted recent FEMA actions – a $26 million buy‑out of 75 homes in high‑risk flood zones and a promise to pay FEMA workers for the first six weeks of a shutdown – while acknowledging a massive backlog of housing assistance and project approvals. Mullin also signaled a rollback of a controversial DHS memo that had required senior‑level clearance on contracts over $100,000, emphasizing that the administration wants “the dollar closer to the state” and is working to name a permanent FEMA administrator.

The visit underscored how the storm’s “thousand‑year” rainfall continues to haunt residents: broken roads, torn‑up flags recovered from the river, and trailers still lining the riverbank. Fire Chief Chris Melton, whose hometown was devastated, received a framed flag as a symbolic gesture from Mullin, while locals gathered at the River Watch Bar to watch the federal team assess the damage. Mullin left with a cautious promise – the federal government will help ease the pain, but it will not “take care of everybody’s problems” – and a commitment to streamline FEMA processes so that aid arrives before the next hurricane season.

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#markwaynemullin #departmentofhomelandsecurity #fema #hurricanehelene

The Masters: Augusta's Familiar Face, Underneath Recent Scars

How did Hurricane Helene change the Masters golf course in Augusta, Georgia? See the new views on hole 10 and 11 for the April 10-13 tournament.

#Masters2024, #AugustaNational, #HurricaneHelene, #GolfChanges, #MastersCourse

https://newsletter.tf/masters-2024-hurricane-helene-augusta-changes/

Augusta National lost many trees from Hurricane Helene, changing the look of holes 10 and 11 for the 2024 Masters. This is different from last year's course.

#Masters2024, #AugustaNational, #HurricaneHelene, #GolfChanges, #MastersCourse
https://newsletter.tf/masters-2024-hurricane-helene-augusta-changes/

BPR: Winter brings a fight to stay warm for those displaced by Helene and living in RVs

"...Most recreational vehicles are not built for winter weather. In freezing temperatures the water lines that supply the campers can freeze up. Because the RVs sit about two feet above the ground and lack insulation, the temperature inside can match the temperature outside – and wind makes it colder...."

https://www.bpr.org/helene-recovery/2026-01-28/winter-brings-a-fight-to-stay-warm-for-those-displaced-by-helene-and-living-in-rvs?utm_source=npr.org&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=national_highlight&utm_content=homepage

#disasters #hurricanehelene #survival

Now that we're in the 2025 home stretch, our collective is shifting from retail hustle to reflection. This was a tough year, on lots of levels, but our public messaging has mostly focused on political concerns rather than the difficult financial position we've been in since Hurricane Helene.

Thanks to strong community support and a grant from the Southern Power Fund, our co-op started 2025 with what we thought was a generous buffer. But between Asheville's slow recovery and worsening conditions for low and middle income folks nationally, we're seeing sales far below those of previous years—and we've burned through our reserves trying to bridge the gap. Our collective is still analyzing the situation, but it's clear that the Q4 turnaround we'd hoped for did not materialize, and we're now headed into late winter on thin ice.

We value transparency, so this post is intended to be a heads up that our project is increasingly precarious. We'll share more information in January along with an outline of how we plan to address Firestorm's financial sustainability. In the meanwhile, we appreciate your continued support and hope that you'll keep us in mind when you're buying books! ❤️‍🔥

#FeministBookstore #HurricaneHelene #FirestormCoop