Appalachia’s ‘Katrina Moment’

Could Hurricane Helene end up deciding the 2024 presidential election?

Sean Rayford/Getty Images
A sign commemorating the flood of 1916 lies on the ground next to a flooded waterway near the Biltmore Village in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene on September 28, 2024 at Asheville, North Carolina. Sean Rayford/Getty Images

The Democrats are getting knocks from President Trump and other Republicans for the Biden-Harris administration’s slow response to Hurricane Helene, our Matthew Rice reports. The crisis is being called Appalachia’s own “Katrina moment.” By the time that category five monster hit Louisiana, President George W. Bush was already into his second term. Helene is a smaller storm, but the political impact could be greater.

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