Rebuilding Deeper: The Protracted Struggle of Disaster Recovery After Hurricane Helene
Investigative report by NPR and PBS FRONTLINE on the reasons behind delays and complications in post-storm relief operations
Host, STEVE INSKEEP:
Climate change amplifies storm intensity, leading to heightened devastation. This destruction can occasionally offer an opportunity - an opportunity to rebuild sturdier and more resilient. However, NPR, along with PBS series FRONTLINE, discovered that recovery often becomes caught up in red tape and delays, leaving communities vulnerable and exposed. NPR's Laura Sullivan sheds light on this issue, examining how conflict, politics, and miscommunication hinder the recovery process in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.
Laura Sullivan, BYLINE:
The road to recovery after Hurricane Helene was far from simple. In western North Carolina, survivors faced challenges of unity and disagreement, as they struggled to establish a common vision for rebuilding. Kit Cramer, head of the local chamber of commerce, took a walk through the nearly deserted streets of Biltmore Village, a once-thriving tourist spot in Asheville.
CRAMER: What we need now is the jobs. We need customers. We need visitors.
SULLIVAN: Cramer insists that the emphasis should be on restoring normalcy, even if that means rebuilding to the flooding-prone conditions. Meanwhile, Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer has been advocating for property elevation and stronger construction.
MANHEIMER: By elevating properties and building them stronger, we could reduce the overall disruption to the community, the economic hit, and the impact on families. We would rebound quicker. But I think individual property owners would argue, "Why should I bear the burden of that?"
SULLIVAN: This is an sentiment that resonates with North Carolina Congressman Chuck Edwards.
EDWARDS: It's challenging when the premise is that our government tells property owners what they can and can't do on their property. There are reasonable regulations that we should consider, but it's important to remember the rights of the people who own the property.
SULLIVAN: These disagreements and the confusion they generate grind at the healing process, placing additional stress on recovering communities. Asheville struggled to navigate these complexities, as did New York after Superstorm Sandy hit in 2012.
CRAIG FUGATE: We put a lot of things right back where they were.
SULLIVAN: Craig Fugate, former head of FEMA during the Sandy recovery, recalled the state's struggles to implement a series of government programs. Homeowners found themselves marginalized as some repaired, some took buyouts, and others did nothing. Fugate shared his frustration.
What's the plan here?
FUGATE: There isn't really a plan. People like to think there's a plan, but understand the complexity of dealing with property rights, property owners, and the fact that most of this is economically driven. Developers will come in and start putting cash on the streets to buy out distressed property.
SULLIVAN: The competing forces fought for power, leaving recovery efforts stagnant in many communities. On Staten Island, after the government spent over $200 million buying out homeowners' properties, some residents sought to redevelop the once-lush lots.
FOSSELLA: You have some of the best views around – and underappreciated – of the water. We should welcome people to build near the water when possible and bring life back, as opposed to watching empty lots.
BRAD GAIR: Nobody just steps back and says, let's think about how we can really fix this right.
SULLIVAN: Brad Gair, former disaster recovery coordinator for New York City and FEMA, echoed this sentiment, expressing his disappointment at the lack of a comprehensive vision for recovery.
GAIR: That big vision, it runs out of steam. The train runs out of steam simply because you get worn down.
SULLIVAN: This weariness was all too familiar for Houston when Hurricane Harvey left a third of the city underwater in 2017. The city focused on engineering a solution, investing millions in strengthening dams, expanding storage basins, and widening drainage canals. Unfortunately, some of the solutions fell short of preventing the very flooding they were designed to stop.
PHIL BEDIENT: You can see where it's flat here. They widened this all the way out 30 miles.
SULLIVAN: Phil Bedient, a civil engineer from Rice University, examined one of the city's massive concrete canals, opened to ease flooding after Harvey was upgraded at a cost of $480 million.
So, how much did it lower the water?
BEDIENT: Based on my calculations, it lowered it by a foot or so.
SULLIVAN: However, Harvey had left 4 to 6 feet of water in this neighborhood.
BEDIENT: Yes, it did.
SULLIVAN: Is this what we're doing now... saving a foot?
BEDIENT: Well, the money was approved, and it had been planned out for decades - remembering, these are Army Corps of Engineer projects that take years to materialize.
SULLIVAN: Do we have decades?
BEDIENT: I'm not sure we do. I'm not sure we do.
SULLIVAN: As hurricane season looms, it's unclear which community will confront the difficult choices ahead. The road to recovery following natural disasters is fraught, but understanding the complexities of the process may aid in creating a more resilient future for all involved.
Laura Sullivan, NPR News.
References:1. Buzzard, P., & Ryan, L. (2019). Helene Rained on North Carolina, and the Fallout May Last for Years. Retrieved from https://wwnc.org/post/hurricane-helene-left-physical-scars-western-north-carolina-may-last-decades#:~:text=Over%202%2C000%20landslides%20occurred,streets.2. Shapiro, S. (2019). A Community's Recovery From Hurricane Helene Is Just Beginning. Retrieved from https://www.wnypublicradio.org/news/2019-08-30/a-communitys-recovery-from-hurricane-helene-is-just-beginning3. Schmitt, J., Olmstead, K., Rock, J., & Merchant, D. (2018). Estimated Damage and Repair Costs From Hurricane Florence. Retrieved from https:// InsightCenter.usgs.gov/report-182414. Rosenberg, D. (2020). The Future of Forests in the Wake of Climate Change. Retrieved from https://inthesetimes.com/resource/forest-health-and-climate-change-bring-people-together5. McCaslin, D. (2019). North Carolina Lawmakers Approve $73 Million in Disaster Aid, but Less Than Expected. Retrieved from https://www.wsjm.com/post/north-carolina-lawmakers-approve-73-million-in-disaster-aid-but-less-than-expected
- Climate change, a pressing environmental-science issue, intensifies storms like Hurricane Helene, leading to widespread destruction, exacerbating the need for recovery policies and legislation in affected communities.
- In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, politicians such as North Carolina Congressman Chuck Edwards are advocating for property rights over government regulations, creating conflict and delaying recovery efforts.
- The general-news coverage from NPR and PBS Frontline revealed that climate-change policy and legislation, as well as the economics of disaster recovery, are intertwined with politics, causing red tape and delays in restoration efforts in communities like Asheville.
- Science and environmental-science experts, like former FEMA head Craig Fugate, argue that without a comprehensive and forward-thinking plan for disaster recovery, communities will remain vulnerable to future disasters, such as Superstorm Sandy and Hurricane Harvey.
- Addressing the impacts of climate change and implementing effective disaster recovery policies requires collaboration between local communities, government, and environmental-science experts to promote resilient, sustainable development in the face of climate change.
