US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump wave as they steps off of Air Force One upon arrival at Asheville Regional Airport in Fletcher, North Carolina, on January 24, 2025, to visit the region devastated by Hurricane Helene.  (MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)

Residents hope FEMA will cut back some of its red tape under the new administration so people with urgent needs can get faster access to those necessities, whether it be money, housing or other forms of assistance. 

“It’s undeniable FEMA dropped the ball in North Carolina,” Rep. Mark Harris, R-N.C., told Fox News Digital. “My visit to Asheville with President Trump only confirmed FEMA has gotten in the way of our state’s ability to rebuild and provide real assistance to the victims of Hurricane Helene. Clearly FEMA must be reformed – and I will work with President Trump in Congress to ensure Americans facing disaster get the help they need.”

A Trump sign posted to a telephone pole in Swannanoa, North Carolina, on Jan. 24, 2025. (Fox News Digital)

“The way that it is, it needs to be restructured,” Wright said of FEMA. “It’s so hard to get any money for immediate needs…we lost everything, and…pretty much all we got was the $750.”

“We the people are p—ed off.”

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Wright also noted that locals are upset with “billions of dollars overseas” while people have immediate housing needs in North Carolina and elsewhere impacted by Helene.

Hurricane Helene created billions of dollars worth of damage when it destroyed homes, farms and critical infrastructure like roads, bridges and power lines. Parts of highways connecting North Carolina and Tennessee have been closed since late September.

More than 100 people died as a result of the hurricane in North Carolina alone, and the total death count is more than 230 across six states, including South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Georgia and Florida.