NEW BERN, N.C. (WITN) – The devastation that hurricanes can cause is all too familiar for long-time residents and business owners in New Bern who were hit hard by Hurricane Florence in 2018.
Concern is even more heightened after reports that FEMA feels they aren’t prepared for upcoming storms or the damage they can bring.
Hurricane season starts on June 1.
According to an internal agency review obtained by CNN, the agency is having challenges with minimal coordination with states and limits it says will impact emergency responses.
It also reveals low morale and agency mission uncertainty.
The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees FEMA, took issue with CNN’s story, saying the review was from a slide “used during a daily meeting Acting Administrator David Richardson has held every day titled Hurricane Readiness Complex Problem Solving. In other words, exactly what the head of an emergency management agency should be doing before Hurricane Season.”
The spokesperson’s statement also says, “FEMA is fully activated in preparation for Hurricane Season.”
The Trump Administration has repeatedly called FEMA ineffective and unnecessary.
The internal review comes after the agency’s former acting head; Cameron Hamilton was fired by the Trump administration which has called FEMA ineffective and unnecessary.
Bill Franklin who has owned Franklin’s Antiques in New Bern for nine years remembers Hurricane Florence like it was yesterday.
“We were in shock,” Franklin said. “Because everything in here was damaged to some degree. The ceiling had come down because of the rain, the carpet that we had was destroyed, much of the furniture that made contact with the floor and up to about 32 inches was damaged.”
He says FEMA has been challenged over the years but has been vital in providing support.
“I mean, whether it’s the western part of North Carolina or in Louisiana or in Texas, FEMA management is a key. I think, in many situations, they’ve done all that they could do, and it’s really great people in there.”
Some New Bern residents feel that major improvements need to be made to ensure that FEMA continues its operations.
“I can’t say I’m surprised given the way government services have been degraded the last 20 years and especially in the last few months,” Ben Fountain said. “I think FEMA can be a great institution and do a lot of good if it’s properly funded and properly run. It’s a necessary government entity.”
Gov. Josh Stein has shared recommendations for changes at FEMA to improve federal disaster response.
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