Monday, December 16, 2024

The tragic fallout of Helene: Government neglect and blocked local aid

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by Dr. Meg Montañez Davenport, America Outloud:

I have lived in North Carolina my entire life. Growing up on the coast, particularly in the Morehead City area, I’m no stranger to the impact of hurricanes. From the brutal winds of Hurricane Fran in 1996 to Hurricane Floyd in 1999, we’ve weathered countless storms. I’ve seen them all, but what’s happening in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene is unlike anything we’ve experienced before. This time, it’s not just the ferocity of nature that’s causing devastation — it’s the inaction of our own government.

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As the remnants of Hurricane Helene slammed into North Carolina, people were left stranded, many on rooftops, surrounded by water, clinging to life. Local citizens, equipped with everything from boats to helicopters, were ready to step up and help. But, in a bizarre and infuriating twist, they were prevented from doing so. Even those with prior military, law enforcement, and firefighting experience — people trained to save lives — were told they couldn’t assist. One local pilot, a veteran with his own private helicopter, took his son out to rescue an elderly couple trapped on a roof as the water rose to the top of their home. He safely transported the wife first, leaving his son behind with the husband to reduce his weight on the helicopter.

When he landed, the police told him he would be arrested if he went back — arrested for trying to save lives! He told them he was going back to get his son and the elderly man, but the police warned him that if he returned with the gentleman, he would be taken into custody. Ultimately, he retrieved his son but was forced to leave the elderly man behind.

It’s hard to wrap my head around how something like this is allowed to happen in America. A man with all the equipment and experience needed to perform rescues is forbidden from helping his neighbors in need. The government has completely failed us in this disaster, blocking those who can help and failing to step up itself.

To add insult to injury, President Biden announced that North Carolina wouldn’t be receiving any more federal aid, even as billions are being sent overseas to Israel for war efforts. While we’re fighting to stay afloat, quite literally, our government is prioritizing foreign conflicts over its own citizens.

This isn’t just a matter of logistics or oversight; it’s deeply traumatic. Families, including children, are trapped on rooftops, surrounded by water, clinging to life as they watch dead bodies float past them in the floodwaters. The emotional toll of this disaster is devastating. Parents are struggling to protect their children not just from the rising waters but from the horrific reality around them. These are scenes no child should ever have to witness. The trauma inflicted on this generation will last far beyond the flood itself, scarring their memories with images of death, destruction, and abandonment.

The unnatural path Hurricane Helene took is another factor that makes this disaster stand out. Hurricanes rarely come up the western side of Florida, and they certainly don’t travel as far north as Helene did. Something about this just isn’t right. Hurricanes slow down significantly once they hit land, but Helene seemed to have an unnatural amount of force. It didn’t lose steam as we expected. After growing up along the coast and experiencing storms firsthand, this one felt different, and it wasn’t just the winds — it was the way it moved, the way it hit, and the devastation it left behind.

Now, let’s discuss something that most people aren’t talking about. Helene hit right in the heart of North Carolina’s lithium and quartz-rich areas. For years, our state has been known for these precious resources, which are critical for producing electric car batteries and other technologies. Conveniently, the government has entered into contracts to mine these minerals, and it’s no secret that the race for renewable energy and electric vehicles is ramping up. Are we really supposed to believe that it’s just a coincidence that a hurricane with such a bizarre trajectory hit precisely where these resources are abundant?

This is where I have to put my tinfoil hat on — or maybe I don’t, because what I’m about to suggest seems less like a conspiracy and more like a series of uncomfortable facts. Geoengineering isn’t science fiction; it’s a reality. The government has admitted to engaging in weather modification in the past. Cloud seeding, aerosol spraying, and other forms of geoengineering have been discussed openly for decades. Could it be that Hurricane Helene’s strange path and unprecedented strength were influenced by these very practices? Could the devastation have been a planned opportunity to clear out areas rich in lithium and quartz for future mining operations?

Think about it. While the government is blocking local heroes from saving lives, it’s making backroom deals to extract the natural wealth under our feet. Meanwhile, we’re left stranded, with no federal help, our homes and communities in ruins. It’s a chilling thought but one that we can’t ignore.

The residents of North Carolina deserve answers. We deserve better. We need to start asking the tough questions about why our state, so rich in natural resources, was hit so hard by a storm with an unnatural path. We need to demand accountability for why aid has been cut off while billions are being funneled into foreign wars. And most importantly, we need to push back against the government’s increasing control over our ability to help each other during times of crisis.

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