The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) failed to follow through on its promise to deliver trailers to Americans after Hurricane Helene destroyed their homes.
During Thanksgiving, FEMA vowed that it would deliver 103 trailer homes by the end of the week. As of December 4, only 46 homes homes have been delivered.
More than 500 families were approved for a FEMA travel trailer, according to WBTV.
The outlet noted that the “slow deployment of the homes means hundreds of families are weathering the snow and freezing temperatures currently hitting the North Carolina mountains.”
Explaining the delay, a FEMA spokesperson told WBTV that a miscommunication occurred within the agency. Timelines for home delivery will no longer be issued. The spokesperson said the agency did not have an accurate timeline “because of the necessary utilities not being confirmed at the planned site, the weather conditions, roads being open, and the recipient showing at the scheduled time.”
During a press conference, FEMA blamed the topography of the area for the lack of deliveries.
“There are a number of different complicating factors,” a spokesperson said. “So for example, citing a mobile unit on a private property has a lot to do with, for example, topography. Here in Buncombe County, we’ve got a lot of mountains.”
“You’ve got a lot of considerations, not just with where is it to actually put the unit, but then also hooking up utilities, making sure the electrical lines, the plumbing lines, everything is good to go, and it’s safe for a family to stay in,” she added.
