Tennessee Governor Bill Lee was among the officials who met with President Donald Trump for a roundtable discussion and emergency responder briefing on the impact of Hurricane Helene on Friday in North Carolina.
Trump traveled to western North Carolina on Friday morning as his first trip of his second term to survey the Appalachia areas impacted by Hurricane Helene, which claimed the lives of 17 Tennesseans and more than 130 lives across six states, last year.
“You are not forgotten.”
Grateful for @realDonaldTrump’s efforts to lift up East TN & other states impacted by Hurricane Helene. I’m encouraged by the opportunity to innovate federal disaster response & look forward to passing additional relief in TN’s special session next week. pic.twitter.com/dNzrf2d6E5
— Gov. Bill Lee (@GovBillLee) January 24, 2025
In Tennessee, remnants of Hurricane Helene caused widespread damage across the eastern part of the state, with some areas receiving as much as 10-15 inches of rainfall in addition to runoff from surrounding states.
The president’s trip to North Carolina comes days after he criticized the federal response to the area during his inauguration speech, where he said, “Our country can no longer deliver basic services in times of emergency, as recently shown by the wonderful people of North Carolina, who’ve been treated so badly, and other states that are still suffering from a hurricane that took place many months ago.”
Trump echoed his criticism of the federal response on Friday, saying that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) “has really let us down.”
“FEMA has been a disaster. If it were up to me, I’d end FEMA right now and let the states handle their problems directly—it would be faster, cheaper, and more effective,” Trump said.
PRESIDENT TRUMP: “I’m pleased to announce that under our leadership, the federal government will be surging housing solutions to this state that go beyond mere temporary hotel stays… and today, I’ll also be signing an Executive Order slashing ALL RED TAPE… to ensure the rapid… pic.twitter.com/imNW7YvQfg
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) January 24, 2025
While on the ground, Trump said his team would be “figuring out a plan” for “demolition and cleaning” the areas devastated by the hurricane.
Trump also announced he would sign an executive order “slashing all red tape and bureaucratic barriers and permits to ensure the rapid reconstruction of the roads.”
One road that remains impassable due to Hurricane Helene is I-40 in Cocke County at the Tennessee-North Carolina state line. Portions of I-40’s eastbound lanes were washed away by flood waters when the Pigeon River rose to historic levels.
While speaking to the press, Lee said Trump invited him to join him and his team in North Carolina to discuss recovery efforts as the president understands that the damage from the hurricane is a “regional issue.”
“Obviously North Carolina has a greater level of damage than Tennessee did so this was the right place for him to come, but it’s a regional issue and he understands that, which is why he asked me to come and I wanted to be here so that the people of Tennessee are heard from,” Lee said.
Aside from federal relief, Lee also pointed to additional state-approved relief expected to be passed by the Tennessee General Assembly.
On Monday, state legislators will convene for a special session to focus on passing the governor’s Education Freedom Act, a disaster relief package, and a bill related to immigration.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
Photo “Donald Trump and Bill Lee” by Bill Lee.
