From the WashPost: Officials face antisemitic attacks over Hurricane Helene response, Report finds Elon Musk’s X is fueling conspiracy theories that risk undermining rescue efforts and preparations for Hurricane Milton.

Just when you think things cant get any worse, we nowhave this extra burden.

From HSNW: Hurricane Helene Could Cost $200 Billion. Nobody Knows Where the Money Will Come From.
“Even as the full scale of devastation in the mountainous regions of North Carolina and Tennessee remains unknown, it’s clear that Hurricane Helene is one of the deadliest and most destructive storms in recent U.S. history. Almost none of the storm’s devastation will be paid out by insurance.”

See this Opinion piece from the WashPost: Hurricane Helene barreled into uncharted territory. It won’t be the last. Storms veering inland — and rampant misinformation — are testing federal disaster response systems.

From the NY Times: How North Carolina Republicans Left Homes Vulnerable to Helene

Although the current focus is on federal response, it appears that the state legislature deserves some of the blame for the terrible aftermath of H. Helene in N.C.

From the WashPost: FEMA deploys to rough terrain after Helene as it faces criticism, fights misinformation

“The Federal Emergency Management Agency is facing logistical challenges and fighting false rumors as it responds to Helene, which made landfall as a major hurricane about a week ago.”

From the WashPost: Thousands of uninsured homes were in Helene’s path.
The United States’ crumbling flood insurance system faces a new test after Hurricane Helene.

“On average, just a tiny fraction of households in the inland counties hit hardest by Hurricane Helene and its remnants had flood insurance, according to a Washington Post analysis of recent data from the National Flood Insurance Program. Across seven affected states, only 0.8 percent of homes in inland counties affected by the storm had flood insurance. By contrast, 21 percent of homes in coastal counties in those areas had coverage.”

From the WashPost: Hurricanes’ hidden toll: Thousands of deaths years after they strike.

“Of more than 500 hurricanes that have hit the United States, the average storm led to up to 11,000 excess deaths, hundreds of times higher than official estimates. ”

From E&E News by Politico: How Project 2025 would treat Helene survivors.

The conservative playbook for a possible Trump presidency calls for cutting disaster aid. “The conservative blueprint for a second Trump administration calls for weakening the government’s response to disasters by slashing public rebuilding money and dissolving federal flood insurance.”

“That could deprive survivors of disasters like Hurricane Helene of the financial help they need to rebuild their homes as rising temperatures and expanding development magnify the costs of catastrophes across the United States.”

The Diva acknowledges that this is an unusual article for this blog, but it’s worth reading to get familiar with the perspective of conservative political figures in the U.S.

From TheConversation:In storms like Hurricane Helene, flooded industrial sites and toxic chemical releases are a silent and growing threat.

“Hundreds of industrial facilities with toxic pollutants were in Hurricane Helene’s path as the powerful storm flooded communities across the Southeast in late September 2024.”

From the WashPost: Why Helene’s floods caught North Carolina off guard .Before this scenic, rustic Great Smoky Mountain refuge turned into a trap few residents saw coming, there were signs of Hurricane Helene’s unthinkable potential.

“A historic storm that exceeded expectations — and preparations.”