WLOS: “Some residents in the Black Mountain area are speaking out against President Trump’s appointed Helene recovery czar. […] They say Whatley’s been absent.”

Yesterday, dozens of Western North Carolinians slammed DC insider Michael Whatley for failing to deliver federal Helene relief after he was tapped in January to lead efforts as “recovery czar.” 

Western North Carolinians “express[ed] anger” and “growing frustration” about Whatley being “absent” and not “do[ing] any kind of outreach to see what people need.” Community members said Whatley “is to blame” as the federal government reportedly withholds hundreds of millions of dollars of relief.

WATCH ON WLOS:

“For months local residents say they haven’t seen Whatley doing anything in his Helene role. More than 20 people from around Black Mountain and Swannanoa organized a news conference to talk about Whatley. They say for months, they haven’t seen him attend local meetings or do any kind of outreach to see what people need, particularly around controversies like delayed funds.

“We reached out to Whatley’s press person and sent questions, specifically from the people who spoke. One of his spokesmen did send a response a short time ago, it didn’t address any of my questions specifically.”

WATCH ON WYFF:

“Several people gathered at a brewery in Black Mountain to speak out about the President’s recovery czar and why he’s failed to get FEMA relief money to their communities. The speakers expressing anger at the slowing response of federal aid. […] They say the man that President Trump put in charge, Michael Whatley, is to blame.”

WATCH ON WXII:

“There’s growing frustration in Western North Carolina as recovery efforts continue nearly a year after Hurricane Helene. Community members are speaking out about the slowing response of federal aid in the region. […] They say that the man President Trump put in charge, Michael Whatley, isn’t doing enough.”

WLOS: ‘Our needs are urgent’: WNC residents say Michael Whatley isn’t helping after Helene

• Residents and business owners from Black Mountain and Swannanoa held a news conference Monday to criticize Michael Whatley, whom President Donald Trump deemed the region’s Helene recovery czar.
• In January, when Trump visited Western North Carolina, he said Whatley’s role as the hurricane recovery “czar” would be to help with recovery efforts and get money to the region.
• Those who attended the event on Monday, however, see it differently; They said they have not seen Whatley doing anything.
• “Michael Whatley was put in charge of Helene recovery efforts for the federal government,” said Anna Stearnes, a Black Mountain attorney who’s worked to help area residents navigate FEMA applications. 
• “My clients are still waiting for answers to their buyout applications, FEMA appeals are taking up to 180 days. Swannanoa still doesn’t have a grocery store or post office. Residents are driving to downtown Asheville to pick up their mail a year after this storm,” Stearnes added.
• “The president said Michael Whatley was going to make sure that all of us get the relief that we need,” said John Garcia, owner of Lookout Brewing Company in Black Mountain. “Folks across Western North Carolina are waiting for tens of millions of dollars of disaster relief that’s been bottlenecked by the federal government while [Washington] D.C. plays games with people’s lives.”
• “If [Michael] Whatley spent more time attending to this disaster relief effort in person, he might realize our needs are urgent,” Garcia said Monday.
• The statement by Whatley’s spokesperson didn’t answer any of the questions asked by News 13.

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