The long-suffering people of North Carolina are finally getting the help they need after (literally) living in tents for as long as four months. What the Biden Administration's FEMA did to these people was cruel and criminal. For example, FEMA moved 80 mobile homes into the area and then put them behind a fence (with a 24-hr guard) and only deployed two. Really. President Trump visited the area Friday in his first official trip in office. The National Guard has been deployed, cleanup specialists have arrived and things are underway.  Thank you, President Trump!!

President Trump is getting some very good advice from his people. FEMA not only hasn't helped in the southern Appalachians, they have gotten in the way.  Clearly, FEMA is a failed agency. It needs to be shrunken and put into the place of a coordinator and an agency to cut through red tape -- only. My specific recommendations are here . 

Between the Los Angeles fires and two recent winter storms, I wanted to use this space to bring our readers up-to-date on a couple items of interest.  North Carolina - Helene Disaster FEMA has continued to drop the ball. People have been left without housing in the snow and cold or, for those with hotel vouchers, they have been left hanging as to their renewal until -- literally -- 12 hours (the evening before) they expired.  Yes, those are tents with people sleeping in them in the freezing cold. I continue to -- strongly -- recommend  Samaritan's Purse  and  EmergencyRV  if you want to donate. We can only hope that the Trump Administration has the compassion that Biden's FEMA lacks.  If you wish to see my Full Measure interview pertaining to the future of FEMA, please see below: UPDATE (10:15am Friday): The predictable FEMA nightmare is starting in Los Angeles. Please see my Full Measure  interview (above) and my suggestions to President Trump...

Images from Matt Van Swol .....in your year-end giving plans.  While the private sector and religious groups have done a great job making up for the Biden Administration's criminal negligence, they can only do so much without our financial aid.  NASCAR and Lowes donating 100 tiny homes on Christmas Day We suggest writingl checks to Samaritan's Purse and to EmergencyRV

FEMA continues to mistreat the people of North Carolina: While I continue to believe there is a role for the federal government when mega disasters occur, (please go here to see my Full Measure  interview pertaining to FEMA from this past Sunday), we would probably be better off disbanding FEMA and starting over. 

O'Keefe Media Group We've published a lot this week that we believe is important to the future of our nation.  NOAA, FEMA's Future and a National Disaster Review Board We published a three-part series outlining the possible futures of the increasingly failing National Weather Service and the usually failing FEMA: Part One , the National Weather Service and NOAA Part Two , Answering Questions Part Three , a National Disaster Review Board Modeled after the NTSB If you agree with the above, please contact your congressional delegation.  Updated Reports on the Situation in North  Carolina  is  available here . Since publishing that piece, Vice President-Elect J.D. Vance has visited the area and has promised more aid when he and President Trump take office.  Since posting my piece, O'Keefe Media Group has published a two-part piece about FEMA's lack of responsiveness. You will find those here and here .  Here is an addition as of 1:30pm EST. FEMA is a nat...

Above is the report from WBTV.  The latest excuses from FEMA for their gross underperformance are in the above report. FEMA's solution? To stop making promises as to when trailers will be delivered!! Updated at 1:20pm:   Above is an image of the FEMA compound that is being torn down  as FEMA leaves western North Carolina. The trailers have electricity, water, sewage, etc. The story is here .  FEMA is tearing down a perfectly good trailer village   it built for its employees post-Helene while people in the disaster zone are living in tents and hotels. Why? FEMA is bugging out after doing very, very little for the people of southern Appalachia.  Cruel and despicable are the two words that best describe the way the federal and state governments are treating western North Carolina.  But, why aren't we hearing more about it? Part is the liberal bent of the MSM and we still have a Democrat in the White House and in North Carolina's executive mansion. ...

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. We Americans have so many reasons to be thankful.  But, this year more than most, a group of Americans is desperately hurting. Below are this week's reports from Matt Van Swol who has been doing amazing work on  the ground in western North Carolina. I urge you to follow him if you want the latest news.   Jesus told us we have a personal, individual responsibility to help the poor. These churches are helping people carry out that obligation.  FEMA continues to treat the people of southern Appalachia in a cruel and criminal manner. I don't use those words lightly.  That interview is here .  On the other hand, Franklin Graham has announced that Samaritan's Purse will build 1,000 homes for the people of the area.  But it isn't just homes that need help. So do small businesses .  So, if you have had a good year please donate as soon as possible.   Samaritan's purse is here .  EmergencyRV is here ....

Please read these posts from yesterday evening: -- and -- With the reporting from a number of independent reports, groups and bloggers last week and the week before creating interest, legacy media reporters have finally returned to the area and they shocked at what they find. There are two words to describe how the people of western North Carolina are being treated: cruel and criminal. I suspect the Biden Administration and NC Governor Democrat Roy Cooper are exacting retribution for this area voting for President-Elect Trump. How would you expect them to vote after the way they have been treated ?! A National Disaster Review Board would provide a measure of accountability for how people are treated during and after disasters. Now, there is no accountability at all -- so they can get away with it. 

I received criticism yesterday because I wasn't telling FEMA's side of the story. Fair enough, here is a video FEMA produced about putting the first  trailer into the Appalachians. Sorry I cannot embed it.  However, please keep in mind the fact below. And........ Reporter Bree Dail reported the above yesterday. Who is making these decisions?!

50 Days Ago: Hurricane Helene Develops in the Gulf of Mexico Helene's aftermath should be the lead story on each network's evening news for the foreseeable future.  Here's the latest on the horror in far east Tennessee, far northwest South Carolina, and western North Carolina: the situation is unbelievably bad and the people we pay to mitigate the effects of natural disasters are, at best, failing at their mission.  In the autumn of 2023, we had at least some reporting from the legacy media about the Maui "land grab" after the horrific fire that struck the City of Lahina. The historic city burned to the ground and the fire killed more than 100.  Serious questions remain unanswered about the Maui Wildfire, which is yet another reason why the United States must  create a National Disaster Review Board , see more below. But that is not the primary topic of this piece.  FEMA and insurance companies -- or people claiming to represent them -- have brought out that ...

Snow is forecast to fall in western North Carolina the end of the week -- the area devastated by Hurricane Helene.  With winter setting in, people are desperate.  Many victims have no home, no electricity and at least one is paying $130/month for a Port-A-Potty!! $15 billion will be needed to replace destroyed housing stock. I can't find (and I have looked!) a single first-hand account complimentary of FEMA's work outside of Asheville.  I can say with certainty: FEMA shows little to no sense of urgency. While I, of course, don't know the details in the case below, stories of insurance companies and FEMA rejecting what appear to be valid claims abound. As a meteorologist, I agree with Ms. Smith that this is not flood damage.  So, we must assist.  There are unconfirmed reports that people have already died of exposure. Please  retweet this for others to see so that they may be able to assist.  Many suggest older, but still in good condition, RV homes b...

  I urge  you to watch Brian's video here .  Where is FEMA? There are a number of allegations they are hanging out in Asheville (which is politically blue). The federal government's fiscal year begins every October 1 so it is hard to understand why these agencies (watch the video) say they are out of money.  Former FEMA Director Mike Brown, yesterday, said FEMA's response in the southern Appalachians is "unacceptable." I think we can all agree on that.  Where is Congress? Where is the National Guard or Army? The election is over. Hundreds of people are still missing. There seems to be little sense of urgency among government agencies as winter approaches  -- with temperatures forecast to drop into the 20's late next week.  It would be a great addition to President Biden's legacy if he would convene Congress to appropriate money and do what else needs to be done in Washington to enable the response to scale up to what is needed.  4:45pm Friday...

 Below is the radar from 5:49pm. A center has formed and Debby is moving northwest. I have underlined Miami, Key West and Cape Coral to orient Florida. Red is a hurricane warning. Pink is a hurricane watch. Blue is a tropical storm warning. The amber area is the current area of tropical storm force winds (39-60 mph). S = tropical hurricane. H = hurricane.  Debby is only expected to move about 70 miles to northeast after 2pm Tuesday. That is why makes the potential rain event so dangerous.  The widespread 7 to 15" amounts near the coast will cause catastrophic flooding. Please prepare now! In addition a life-threatening storm surge of up to 7 feet is likely along the Florida Big Bend.  Finally, there is a significant risk of tornadoes Sunday and Sunday night in the green area. 

The weak weather system now over Cuba is forecast to become Tropical Storm Debby off the coast from Naples Saturday evening. It is then forecast to move across Tampa with 60 mph winds (with gusts to 75 mph) and then curve northeast reaching the Jacksonville area by sunrise Monday. Blue = tropical storm warning and yellow = tropical storm watch.  Here is the storm surge forecast. Beyond Monday morning, the forecast becomes much more uncertain.  The models I trust the most have the system as a strong tropical storm from near Amelia Island to about Myrtle Beach. Then, they either move it inland or have it weaken near the South Carolina or North Carolina coasts. Vacationers to these areas should take the forecast for early next week into consideration.  The NWS is forecasting as much at 7" of rain (amber)in the coastal Carolinas (the yellow, 10" area, if off the coast.  I am forecasting a chance of tornadoes just about anywhere over the Florida Peninsula until the storm ...