Hurricane Helene made landfall last week, wreaking havoc across several southeastern U.S. states, including Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee. As communities grapple with the destruction, another storm has emerged—this time on social media. The Biden administration has come under fire, with critics, including former President Donald Trump, accusing the government of neglecting its citizens in favor of supporting Ukraine.
Viral Post Stirs Criticism
A viral tweet from conservative account @EndWokeness sparked outrage by comparing U.S. aid to Ukraine with the federal response to Hurricane Helene. The post stated, “$2.4 billion aid to Ukraine” versus “No more aid for Hurricane Helene” and featured two clips of President Biden. One video showed Biden announcing support for Ukraine, while the other had him commenting on limited federal resources for hurricane relief.
Biden’s statement, “We have pre-planned a significant amount, even though they didn’t ask for it yet—hadn’t asked for it yet,” was taken from an interview with ABC News and widely shared. This, along with additional tweets from prominent conservative figures like Matt Walsh of The Daily Wire, fueled the perception that victims of Hurricane Helene, especially in North Carolina, were an afterthought.
“Unfortunately, the North Carolina flood victims are citizens of the USA, not Ukraine, so the Biden Administration sees no reason to help them,” wrote Walsh on X (formerly Twitter), amplifying the divisive narrative that aid for hurricane victims was being overlooked.
White House Clarifies Federal Aid for Hurricane Helene
Contrary to the accusations circulating online, the White House has issued multiple statements outlining its support for the victims of Hurricane Helene. On September 28, President Biden approved a disaster declaration for Florida, authorizing federal aid to assist state, tribal, and local recovery efforts.
The federal assistance includes grants for temporary housing, home repairs, low-interest loans for uninsured property losses, and other support programs aimed at aiding individuals and businesses. Federal funding was also allocated for hazard mitigation measures across the state, as well as to local governments and nonprofits for emergency work.
This announcement, alongside similar declarations for Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina, authorized the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to provide emergency response assistance to those affected by the storm.
Continued Federal Response
In a briefing released on September 30, the White House reaffirmed that the Biden-Harris administration was continuing its efforts to aid the communities impacted by Hurricane Helene. More than 3,500 federal personnel were deployed across the affected states, and search and rescue operations were in full swing. According to the briefing, over 1,250 Urban Search and Rescue personnel were on the ground in Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee, working alongside local responders.
The Department of Defense also mobilized high-water trucks and helicopters to assist in rescue operations and supply transportation. Additionally, FEMA distributed over 1.9 million meals, more than 1 million liters of water, and other critical supplies, including generators and tarps, to support recovery efforts.
Ukraine Aid and Disaster Relief: Different Allocations
Despite the criticism linking U.S. aid to Ukraine and domestic disaster relief, the two funding streams are distinct. On Thursday, Biden announced $8 billion in military assistance to Ukraine, which may be the final aid package before his term concludes. The Kiel Institute estimates that U.S. contributions to Ukraine since the start of the war have totaled over $80 billion, although much of this funding is not directly allocated to Ukraine.
According to reports, some of these funds are designated for preemptive natural disaster preparedness, military research, infrastructure investments, and counterterrorism measures. Additionally, some of the funds are used to support Ukrainian refugees living in the U.S.
Calls for Additional Helene Relief Funding
While a stop-gap funding bill was passed by Congress last Wednesday to avert a government shutdown, President Biden indicated that he might call a special session to request additional aid for Hurricane Helene recovery. He suggested that supplemental funding may be necessary to fully address the widespread damage caused by the storm.
Biden is expected to visit North Carolina this week, where he will assess the damage firsthand and meet with local officials. On September 30, he also responded to criticism from Donald Trump, who falsely claimed that Georgia Governor Brian Kemp could not reach Biden during the hurricane’s aftermath. Biden defended his response, stating that he had been in regular communication with state leaders and was “commanding” the recovery efforts from Delaware, where he spent the weekend.
