FEMA Director Rejects Claims About Response to Helene: ‘Not Helpful’

The number of deaths from Hurricane Helene stood at 227 on Saturday and is still climbing, officials say.

Damage from Hurricane Helene surrounds the town of Asheville, N.C., on Oct. 5, 2024. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times

The director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) on Sunday dismissed claims about her agency’s funding in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene’s devastation in North Carolina.

“It’s really a shame that we’re putting politics ahead of helping people, and that’s what we’re here to do,” FEMA Director Deanne Criswell told ABC News’ “This Week” on Sunday.