Homeland Republicans Request New Information From DHS, DOD, State of North Carolina on Federal Response to Hurricane Helene

WASHINGTON, D.C. - This week, House Committee on Homeland Security Chairman Mark E. Green, MD (R-TN); Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations, and Accountability Chairman Dan Bishop (R-NC); and Subcommittee on Emergency Management and Technology Chairman Anthony D'Esposito (R-NY) sent letters to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, Department of Defense (DoD) Secretary Lloyd Austin, and North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper, requesting information and documents regarding the federal response and coordination with the state of North Carolina in the wake of Hurricane Helene. The letters specifically request information on the use of military assets and the execution of Title 10 authorities.

Read the full letters to Secretary Mayorkas, Secretary Austin, and Governor Cooper, and excerpts below.

In the letter to Secretary Mayorkas, the Chairmen write, "The Committee on Homeland Security (Committee) is conducting oversight of the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) coordination with the State of North Carolina and the Department of Defense (DoD) to respond to Hurricane Helene. Since Hurricane Helene's landfall on September 26, 2024, the scale of mobilized resources, material, and personnel at the federal and state levels has been significant. The Committee seeks to better understand the use of military assets, the execution of Title 10 authorities, and how these efforts were coordinated in North Carolina, where the damage from Hurricane Helene is particularly acute."

In the letter to Secretary Austin, the Chairmen emphasize the same sentiment, "The Committee on Homeland Security (Committee) is conducting oversight of the federal response to Hurricane Helene. Since Hurricane Helene's landfall on September 26, 2024, the scale of mobilized resources, material, and personnel at the federal and state levels has been significant. The Committee seeks to better understand the use of military assets, the execution of Title 10 authorities, and how these efforts were coordinated in North Carolina, where the damage from Hurricane Helene is particularly acute."

In the letter to Governor Cooper, the Chairmen write, "On September 25, you requested an Emergency Declaration under the Stafford Act and announced that 'resources from the North Carolina National Guard' would be deployed to support impacted communities. The following day, President Biden approved your request, which allowed the state of North Carolina to receive reimbursement for some disaster-related costs incurred by the National Guard, such as search and rescue activities. You activated one-hundred seventy-five North Carolina National Guardsmen by September 26. Meanwhile, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) requested that the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) provide trucking assets and 'provide/stage initial 30 high-wheeled vehicles' to 'move cargo and/or passengers, in support of disaster operations' The Army Corps of Engineers' mission assignment was required to begin by September 27, while the DoD operational mission was required to begin on September 29."

The Chairmen continue, "You deployed an additional 378 National Guardsmen by September 28. That same day, 3,200 federal personnel deployed for response efforts throughout multiple impacted states, including 800 from FEMA, and a number from the U.S. Coast Guard and Army Corps of Engineer On September 30, you had activated 'more than 400' national guard personnel. President Biden also increased the cost share for National Guardsmen to 100 percent for 180 days by October 2. By October 5, the number of federal personnel increased to 6,400, including 1,000 National Guard Bureau troops. The intense breadth of Hurricane Helene's impact requires significant DoD assets and personnel to assist in North Carolina's immediate and long-term recovery."

The letters request document production from each respective letter's recipient by December 24, 2024.

Background:

The Committee continues to conduct oversight of the federal response to Hurricanes Helene and Milton.

On December 5, the Chairmen sent a letter to Disaster Survival Assistance Task Force Lead Chad Hershey, requesting he sit for a transcribed interview with the Committee. Hershey was the Task Force Lead for former FEMA employee Marn'i Washington, who was fired for giving guidance to other relief workers to "avoid homes advertising Trump" when surveying for potential recipients of disaster relief in Florida after Hurricane Milton. Committee staff conducted a transcribed interview with Washington on December 3, which further emphasized the need for answers from Hershey.

On November 22, the Chairmen sent letters to Washington and FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell demanding transcribed interviews following the shocking reports that FEMA workers had been directed to effectively withhold disaster-related support from homes in Florida that had signs or other items showing support for President Trump. Read the full letters to Washington here and Criswell here.

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