"I'm from the Government and I am Here to Help"

A reflection on the Government's failure to help the Victims of Hurricane Helene

On September 27, 2024, I awoke to find my yard completely transformed from the day before. Debris from the trees covered every inch of the driveway, and at least five trees lay uprooted in the yard. One of these trees was mere centimeters from damaging the house, catching itself against my parents' bedroom window. After assessing the damage in my own yard, I walked through the neighborhood to see what had happened to my neighbors' properties. I didn’t get very far; a fallen tree had blocked the road, preventing anyone from entering or exiting. I turned around and headed in the other direction, only to be stopped again by another fallen tree blocking the road. “Trapped!” I thought. My family and five other neighbors were stuck in our homes until either the county or a good neighbor with a chainsaw could free us. I thought, if we had to wait for the county to come cut us out, we wouldn’t be getting out anytime soon. Luckily for us, some good neighbors were able to chop up one of the trees blocking the road, creating a way out of the neighborhood. (I do have to give credit to our county workers—they were efficient and came that evening to clear the other tree.) The whole experience reminded me of Ronald Reagan’s famous quote: “The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: ‘I’m from the government, and I’m here to help.’”[1]

Today, I think the phrase has lost its meaning and is mostly said jokingly whenever the government overreaches or fails spectacularly to help its citizens. When Reagan uttered these words in Illinois, he was addressing farmers who were still struggling despite America having the best economy in twenty years. Reagan blamed the government for the farmers’ hardships, stating, “A great many of the current problems on the farm were caused by government-imposed embargoes and inflation, not to mention government’s long history of conflicting and haphazard policies.”[2] In other words, government overreach had damaged the farming industry, and it was in this context that Reagan uttered his famous phrase, "The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: I am from the government and I am here to help." Reagan’s quote is often cited out of context, used by anyone who feels the government is overstepping. Yet, in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, I can’t help but feel that this phrase rings true today, especially as I reflect on the government’s disastrous response to Hurricane Helene.

It’s hard to look back on Helene’s aftermath without mentioning the government’s blunders in rescue and aid at all levels. My hometown, for example, still has branches from Helene piling up on the side of the streets, just waiting for someone from the city to haul them away. But that aside, the point is that the government fumbled Hurricane Helene’s rescue and aid efforts, particularly in Western North Carolina. I was disheartened to hear about helicopter pilot Jordan Seidhom, who was told by a Lake Lure fire official to stop flying rescue missions or face arrest. And this was not to mention FEMA’s inadequate response to the hurricane. In the following paragraphs, I will break down these two events.

Image of Lake Lure flooded captured by the Seidhom family during their rescue operation. Source: https://fox59.com/news/national-world/pilot-flying-helene-rescue-missions-in-nc-ordered-out-threatened-with-arrest/.

Western North Carolina had received 14 inches of rainfall in the days leading up to Hurricane Helene and was under flash flood warnings; however, no one could have prepared for how powerful Helene truly was. Helene struck Western North Carolina as a tropical storm, dropping 29.5[3] inches of rain. This heavy rainfall caused the French Broad River to rise to 24.67 feet, flooding the city of Asheville, North Carolina.[4] Combined with the earlier rainfall, the ground became saturated and unstable, leading cell towers to slip off mountains and roads to collapse. As a result, the only viable way for rescue crews to reach people stranded on mountain tops was by helicopter. This is where Jordan Seidhom comes into view. Helicopter pilot Jordan Seidhom, a former sheriff’s officer and volunteer firefighter, began flying rescue missions with his son to aid stranded residents in Lake Lure, North Carolina. After successfully coordinating with officials and rescuing several people, Seidhom attempted to save an elderly couple but was halted by local fire officials who threatened him with arrest, despite his prior clearance. He was forced to leave one member of the elderly couple behind, awaiting rescue from official responders. Seidhom stated,

“I told him my background experience, law enforcement, firefighting, and pilot and he immediately started helping with coordination. He gave me radio frequencies to coordinate with them on, set up a landing area for me to come back with the other victim, and just basically started the rescue efforts; the policies and procedures that you would take coordinating with someone from an outside source or outside agency. And in the middle of the whole conversation and them blocking the road off, I was greeted by the — at that time I didn’t know — but the Lake Lure fire chief, or assistant chief, maybe. And he shut down the whole operation.”[5]

Seidhom was not the only private rescue worker who faced pushback from the government. Pilot’s who worked for the organization Operation Airdrop were told they could not fly over the Asheville area on Wednesday, October 2, 2024. The restriction was put in place because President Biden was due to visit the area; however, one of the organizations organizers refused to let this no-fly restrictions stop his rescue missions, and thus he continued on with his work. Pilots Gary Heavin and Matt McSwain continued on with there missions despite the restrictions.[6]

In the video, Jordan Seidhom is seen discussing a rescue plan with an elderly couple. He is conversing with his son and a copilot in the video.

Many YouTubers have documented their experiences in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, providing aid and supplies to those most in need. One such YouTube channel, Biker’s and Beards, shared this in their video about relief missions for hurricane victims in North Carolina: “What we are realizing and what I am hearing from the ground is the government’s not coming—it’s just not, or at least they’re not coming anytime soon.”[7] This sentiment is evident through posts on social media, where individuals, not the government, stepped in to aid hurricane victims. This lack of response is further emphasized by FEMA’s response to the hurricane.

FEMA has offered a meager $750 in aid per victim of Hurricane Helene—a sum that barely covers the extensive flood and tree damage caused by the hurricane. For example, my family was quoted $1,000 just to cut up a single snapped tree branch (see photo below). The amount FEMA offered won’t even cover the removal of one branch, let alone the replacement of lost groceries or repairs to other damage. That is if you qualified. Host of the Comment Section, Brett Copper reported that many people were being denied the aid, and the only people who were able to receive the aid are those on Government assistance or those who do not have Home Owner's insurance. The program is only further rendered useless due to the fact that you would have to go online to apply and then if and when you are approved the money will be electronically transferred to your bank account. How is that supposed the poor people of western North Carolina who had no power, no internet, and no way to access their bank accounts. That is if you qualified. Host of the Comment Section, Brett Copper, reported that many people were being denied the aid, and the only people who were able to receive the aid are those on Government assistance or those who do not have Homeowner's insurance. The program is only further rendered useless due to the fact that you would have to go online to apply and then if and when you are approved, the money will be electronically transferred to your bank account. How is that supposed to help the poor people of western North Carolina who had no power, no internet, and no way to access their bank accounts.

Such limited support feels like a slap in the face to those who continue to suffer from Helene’s impact. To make matters worse, FEMA head Mayorkas stated, “We are meeting the immediate needs with the money that we have. We are expecting another hurricane, and FEMA does not have the funds to make it through the season.”[8] It’s shocking that FEMA is already low on funds—did they not budget properly, or were funds allocated elsewhere? According to Brett Cooper, host of The Comment Section, FEMA spent $650 million on illegal immigrants this 2024 fiscal year. They Spent $650 million on illegal migrants but can't spare more than $750 for the victims of Hurricane Helene, and whatever's left for the victims of the next hurricane.

Tree branch that was quoted $1000 to remove after Helene

Reagan’s words feel more relevant today: “The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: ‘I’m from the government, and I’m here to help.’” Despite the disheartening government response, it’s encouraging to see videos on my feed of individuals bringing relief to Helene’s victims.

At In the Archives, we’re committed to analyzing primary source material, and the best sources on Hurricane Helene relief come from Facebook posts, tweets, and videos shared by those witnessing the events firsthand. In times of disaster, it’s the good-hearted people of America who respond first, not the government. Please stay safe and prepared out there. We continue to pray for those affected by Hurricane Helene and hope for a swift recovery.

[1] Ronald Regan, “The President's News Conference,” from https://www.reaganlibrary.gov/archives/speech/presidents-news-conference-23.

[2] Regan.

[3] JD Franklin III, “Parts of North Carolina Sees as much as 29.5 inches of Rainfall as Helene Barrels Through, “ WXII12, September 27, 2024, North Carolina: Helene brings rain, life-threatening flooding.

[4] Joyce Orlando, “Helene by the Numbers: How much rain fell in Asheville, Western NC? How High did Rivers Crest? How Many Died? Citizens Times, October 4, 2024, https://www.citizen-times.com/story/news/2024/10/04/asheville-flooding-update-helene-death-toll-how-high-rivers-got-inches-of-rain-wind-gusts/75511171007/.

[5] Jody Barr, “Pilot Flying Helene Rescue Missions in NC Ordered Out, Threatened with Arrest,” Fox 59, October 2, 2024, https://fox59.com/news/national-world/pilot-flying-helene-rescue-missions-in-nc-ordered-out-threatened-with-arrest/.

[6] https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/state/north-carolina/article293426754.html.

[7] Bikers and Beards, “Hurricane Aftermath and Why It’s not getting Better.” October 12, 2024, Youtube, 38:23, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEZdG9RNJzU.

[8] Kevin Freking and Colleen Long, “ Mayorkas Warns FEMA doesn’t have Enough Funding to Last through Hurricane Season,” October 2, 2024, AP news, https://apnews.com/article/hurricane-helene-congress-fema-funding-5be4f18e00ce2b509d6830410cf2c1cb.