Politics
Hurricane Helene aftermath looms over North Carolina's US Senate race
Two years after the historic storm, candidates Roy Cooper and Michael Whatley trade blame over the speed and management of recovery efforts.
The short version
- The 2026 US Senate race to succeed retiring Republican Senator Thom Tillis has become heavily focused on the recovery from Hurricane Helene, which struck western North Carolina in September 2024.
- Democratic nominee Roy Cooper, the governor during the disaster, and Republican nominee Michael Whatley, former RNC chair, are facing mutual accusations regarding their handling of the relief efforts.
- Local officials and voters in hard-hit communities like Marshall and Canton remain deeply divided over which candidate’s response was more effective.
Key facts
- Hurricane Helene struck western North Carolina as a tropical storm in September 2024, causing at least 107 deaths and nearly $60 billion in damage.[The Guardian]
- Democratic nominee Roy Cooper served as North Carolina's governor when the hurricane struck, while Republican nominee Michael Whatley served on the FEMA Council Review Board under the Trump administration.[The Guardian]
- Cooper's campaign has labeled Whatley a failed 'recovery czar,' pointing to Donald Trump's past statement that Whatley would be in charge of oversight.[The Guardian]
- Whatley's campaign denies he was ever given a 'czar' title and asserts he worked with the state's congressional delegation to secure $10.75 billion in federal hurricane relief.[The Guardian]
- Cooper's campaign claims that the federal funding secured covers only about 15% of the total storm damage, highlighting that Cooper signed state bills allocating over $877 million to recovery.[The Guardian]
What remains uncertain
- Local politicians and community members express conflicting accounts of Cooper's active involvement and presence in western North Carolina during the immediate recovery period.[The Guardian]