“There was a western North Carolina that existed before this and there’s the one that comes after,” Smathers said in an interview. There’s not many other places nearby for people to go, he said, since Helene brought “apocalyptic” damage to all corners of western North Carolina, where housing affordability is a top concern. “There was a western North Carolina that …
On Monday, President Biden visited Kentucky communities devastated by recent flooding—which has left at least 37 dead and more than 500 homeless—and promised the federal government would commit significant resources to recovery efforts. “There’s a possibility for government-funded buyout programs” to address the need for climate relocation, said Anna Weber, a policy analyst at the Natural Resources Defense Council who …
Search The Thousands Of Disaster Buyouts FEMA Didn't Want You To See Enlarge this image toggle caption Claire Harbage/NPR Claire Harbage/NPR For many families, the nightmare of a catastrophic flood is only just getting started when the waters recede. Sponsor Message NPR analyzed records from a Federal Emergency Management Agency database of more than 40,000 property acquisitions, or "buyouts," funded …
