There have been a lot of concerns about getting help to the folks in the areas affected by Hurricane Helene, particularly in North Carolina, where many people have now been cut off from help for days, and the only way they’re getting help is by air for rescue, medicine or other supplies.
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A lot of people have been trying to help, but there have been numerous reports of people being impeded.
The Government’s Failure to Help After Helene Goes Far Beyond What the Media Is Willing to Tell You
Now, even Elon Musk is reporting this as his SpaceX engineers are trying to deliver Starlink systems into the affected area.
SpaceX engineers are trying to deliver Starlink terminals & supplies to devastated areas in North Carolina right now and @FEMA is both failing to help AND won’t let others help. This is unconscionable!!They just took this video a few hours ago, where you can see the level of devastation: roads, houses, electricity, water supply and ground Internet connections completely destroyed. @FEMA wouldn’t let them land to deliver critical supplies … my blood is boiling …
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He revealed a text he’d gotten about deliveries being blocked and shutting down airspace.
Then, amazingly, he got a response from Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
“No one is shutting down the airspace and FAA doesn’t block legitimate rescue and recovery flights. If you’re encountering a problem give me a call,” Buttigieg said.
Elon said there were “hundreds of reports” of FEMA or the FAA “blocking flights” He then asked for the number to call Buttigieg.
But then it didn’t appear he got an answer from Buttigieg, as he had to ask again.
Musk said the pilots were not trying to land in an unsafe area.
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How is the governmental effort so lacking in coordination and response, and then on top of that, getting in the way of those that are responding? Even this exchange seems to tell the tale — why should Elon Musk have to be begging Pete Buttigieg for a phone number just so a helicopter can land?
It’s just unreal.
Buttigieg finally did get back to him. But he’s responding only after all this has exploded all over X, with many who are not as well placed as Elon Musk complaining about the issues.
Musk, with his big stick, brought more attention to the issue and forced an answer. Hopefully, they will resolve this, or I suspect we will hear more from Musk.