(NewsNation) —Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is in Western North Carolina touring the damage done by Hurricane Helene.
Johnson is expected to criticize the federal response to the disaster when he speaks in the Biltmore Village neighborhood of Asheville, one of the hardest-hit areas of the city.
Helene weakened to a tropical storm as it moved through the Southeast, but heavy rains and winds downed trees and brought massive flooding to towns in the Blue Ridge mountains.
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Many in the area remain without power or water more than a week after the storm, with smaller communities cut off thanks to damaged or washed-out roads.
The damage to the region is extensive, with homes and businesses demolished and entire towns like Chimney Rock and Hot Springs virtually destroyed.
Areas along the French Broad and Swannanoa rivers fared the worst, including the historic Biltmore Village, a popular tourist area located near the Biltmore Estate, which remains closed to visitors.
Residents Jacqueline Twohig and Doug Frieders saw the river rising and got out just in time. Their neighbors were not so fortunate, and videos showed their condo floating down the flooded river.
“All of your memories, your whole life, everything you’ve built, just crashing in the blink of an eye,” Twohig said. “Thinking, we could have been in there, like if I didn’t get up because I was feeling hot and going to turn on the fan, we could have been in there until it was too late. Just like the others were.”
As Hurricane Milton heads toward the U.S., the coast is gearing up for another devastating storm, impacting recovery efforts for an area where people are still reeling from Helene.
Volunteer groups have organized relief efforts, including the self-described “Redneck Air Force” made up of volunteers who are mostly former military.
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Many of them were in special operations and are now using helicopters to deliver aid to people in need in remote areas. Some in the group have said they haven’t seen enough federal help on the ground.
Local officials and the Federal Emergency Management Agency have pushed back on what they have called misleading claims about the response to Helene, saying there are hundreds of people on the ground and millions of assistance already approved.
Former Green Beret Adam Smith leads a team of hundreds and fears the Appalachian region will be forgotten after Milton hits.
“All the news interest is going to go to Florida and it’s going to disappear from this location,” he said. “As soon as that happens, the people of Western North Carolina are going to be standing here holding the bag because we haven’t had federal assistance, because we haven’t had federal funding, because that money’s not moving.”
