President Donald Trump speaks while visiting a neighborhood affected by Hurricane Helene in Swannanoa, North Carolina, on Jan. 24, 2025. (MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)

“We’re going to fix it, and we’re going to fix it as fast as you can,” Trump said. “It’s a massive amount of damage. FEMA has really let us down. Let the country down. And I don’t know if that’s Biden’s fault or whose fault it is, but we’re going to take over. We’re going to do a good job.”

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.