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WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. government’s top disaster relief official says false claims and conspiracy theories about the federal response to Hurricane Helene, which are being spread most prominently by Donald Trump, are “demoralizing” aid workers and creating fear in people who need recovery assistance. Deanne Criswell of the Federal Emergency Management Agency tells ABC that “it’s frankly ridiculous, and just plain false. This kind of rhetoric is not helpful to people.” She says the unfounded allegations have created a sense of fear and mistrust from residents against the thousands of FEMA employees and volunteers on the ground.

Prayers needed for Western North Carolina’s following catastrophic devastation from remnants of Hurricane Helene. Search and rescue remain a critical mission; agricultural assessments only beginning.

BELLEAIR BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Milton has become a Category 5 hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico on a path toward Florida’s west coast. Milton’s growth Monday sets the stage for a dangerous storm surge in Tampa Bay and potential mass evacuations less than two weeks after a catastrophic Hurricane Helene swamped the coastline. Milton’s center could come ashore Wednesday in the Tampa area, and it could remain a hurricane as it moves across central Florida toward the Atlantic Ocean. It is threatening Florida less than two weeks after Hurricane Helene caused deaths and catastrophic damage in that state and well inland.

It’s been more than a week since Hurricane Helene rampaged through the Southeast, and especially in the mountains of Tennessee and North Carolina, the extent of the damage is just now coming to light. Bob Etheridge, state director of the North Carolina Farm Service Agency, spoke with WPTF’s Chris Edwards and said it’s a horrendous […]

Soil health is the foundation for a long-term productive and profitable operation. Regenerative agriculture can be the next step in protecting and boosting soil health, sustainability practices, and overall ROI. James Maude, senior vice president of Acadian Plant Health, says Acadian biostimulants are formed to solve new challenges growers face in modern agriculture “We know […]

With no new farm bill in place after the 2018 farm bill deadline passed, there are already impacts on U.S. farmers and ranchers. Sam Kieffer, vice president of public policy for the American Farm Bureau Federation, outlined some of the programs that went away. “Most of the impacts won’t be felt until the new crop […]

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — The death toll from Hurricane Helene has inched up to 227 as the grim task of recovering bodies continues more than a week after the monster storm ravaged the U.S. Southeast. Helene came ashore Sept. 26 as a Category 4 hurricane and carved a wide swath of destruction as it moved northward from Florida. It destroyed homes, washed away roads and knocked out electricity and cellphone service for millions. The death toll could rise even higher. It is not clear how many people are unaccounted for or missing. Helene is the deadliest hurricane to hit the mainland U.S. since Katrina in 2005.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris has pledged ongoing federal support for those affected by Hurricane Helene as she visited North Carolina. The Democratic presidential nominee met with state and local officials Saturday in Charlotte, where she praised the work of strangers helping strangers. She also helped pack aid kits and met with volunteers, calling them “heroes among us.” It was her second trip in four days to the disaster zone. Republican nominee Donald Trump was in the state a day earlier, and has been spreading false claims about the federal response to the disaster. But Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper says that federal officials have been on the ground in the state helping “since the very beginning.”

A week after Hurricane Helene overwhelmed the Southeastern U.S., homeowners hit the hardest are grappling with how they could possibly pay for the flood damage from one of the deadliest storms in recent history to hit the mainland. The Category 4 storm that first struck Florida’s Gulf Cost on September 26 has dumped trillions of gallons of water across several states, leaving a catastrophic trail of destruction that spans hundreds of miles inland. Insurance professionals and experts have long warned that home insurance typically does not cover flood damage to the home. But most private insurance companies don’t carry flood insurance, leaving the National Flood Insurance Program run by the Federal Emergency Management Agency as the primary provider for that coverage for residential homes.

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina General Assembly leaders say they’re prepared to approve initial disaster relief next week. House Speaker Tim Moore and Senate leader Phil Berger said in a Friday news release that they’re still working out the details of exactly what’s needed for now to address the damage from Hurricane Helene. Lawmakers at an already-scheduled one-day session Wednesday are expected to advance a down payment on the state’s share of relief funds as well as legal changes to provide flexibility to agencies and displaced residents. State government coffers already include $5.5 billion in “rainy day” and disaster reserves.