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Dec. 18, 2024 - Stew Peters Show
55:39
Millstone Report: NEW DOC: GROUND ZERO NORTH CAROLINA: Fighting Globalism to Restore the Republic
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Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Welcome, welcome, welcome.
Thank you so much for being with us as always.
This is the Bill Stone Report.
My name is Paul Harrell, and we can't do the program without you watching every single day.
A couple of weeks ago, I had on independent journalist Ann VanderSteel.
We talk about her upcoming documentary entitled Ground Zero North Carolina Fighting Globalism to Restore the Republic.
This is about FEMA. This is about everything that's happened in the wake of Hurricane Helene.
We're going to get to that here in just a moment.
We're going to play that for you.
Her documentary, because I told her I would do it, it premiered last night.
It's already making the rounds, but I wanted you to see it.
It's an hour and 45 minutes, so depending on which platform you're watching this on, some we only have 56 minutes on.
Some others, but I'll make sure that the link is in the description.
The full link is in the description if you can't watch the full hour 45 because it's going to cut off at the 56 minute mark.
But before we go any further, before we do anything else, I'm going to knock some of these live reads out because we do care about our sponsors, but we also want you to get the most out of this content on this particular day.
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Now, without further ado, it was fantastic.
To get to talk to Ann Vander Steele a couple of weeks ago about this documentary.
It's a successful documentary and it's exposing what's really going on on the ground with our fellow countrymen in North Carolina in the wake of this terrible storm.
Here it is, the documentary that you need to see.
Hurricane Helene transformed from a swirling low-pressure system into a force of destruction that led a path from the Gulf of Mexico through Florida, Georgia, East Tennessee, and delivered a 1-in-1,000-year kill shot in its wrath on Western North Carolina.
Everything's gone.
The storm's pace, how rapidly it intensified, the fury of its winds and rain left a lasting scar on towns, landscapes, and people in its path.
But this story goes beyond the physical and financial devastation.
We lost everything.
We lost buildings.
It taps into human resilience, the scale of collaboration, and the commitment to recovery.
There does exist a darker side to this tragedy.
In the wake of Eileen and through my investigation over the last eight weeks, it seems I've opened Pandora's box, leading to more serious questions and answers.
Are you shutting me out?
Questions about weather modification.
It lays the predicate and the foundation for the development of a weather satellite.
That will permit man to determine the world's cloud layer and ultimately to control the weather and he who controls the weather will control the weather.
Government overreach, lack of government response, scarcity of potable water, and in future episodes in this docu-series, the potential redevelopment for 15-minute cities and exploitation of valuable resources such as lithium and quartz silica, all in high demand in the name of green energy, artificial intelligence driven by the World Economic Forum and the United Nations proclaimed climate crisis.
We will examine the threat to the nuclear family.
The Department of Social Services, a North Carolina agency for CPS, has been actively removing children from families under the auspices of ensuring a safe home for that child.
Oddly, the money awarded DSS per child is far greater than what would be needed to provide temporary housing for the entire family who lost their home and belongings in the storm.
And finally, we will look into getting clarity on the number of people who perished due to this catastrophic storm and the fallout from the government response.
The death toll, reportedly, seems remarkably low considering the amount of body bags ordered, the field reports of bodies in refrigerator trucks, Chinook helicopters with hundreds of bodies loaded by search and rescue teams, and law enforcement efforts who were pulling bodies out from across the region.
Hurricane Helene's assault on Western North Carolina was nothing short of catastrophic.
Torrential rains, exacerbated by the mountainous topography, brought torrents of water cascading through valleys, engulfing towns, uprooting businesses, and transforming bustling communities into disaster zones.
In this exposé, we'll also delve into the role of FEMA. The total cost of Helene's rampage is staggering, with damage estimates climbing into the billions.
FEMA, state officials, and local agencies are supposed to work together, pouring resources into the area, rendering aid, supporting the cleanup, and facilitating the rebuilding efforts.
The joint response across federal and local levels highlight the massive shortcomings in executing those efforts in recovery.
Remarkably, the scale of need has been matched by the people who have come together from next door to across the country to help their fellow American.
The camps FEMA built, only for their support staff, are now gone or being dismantled.
With FEMA applications for aid being denied to some and funded to others, the decision tree on who gets what is not clearly understood.
It was unmistakably unsettling due to the absence of direct and clear communication as to FEMA's role and presence in the communities.
Moreover, in an age where science and technology monitor every aspect of the weather, there are rising questions about the influence of human activity in storm intensification.
Some voices point to the tools like NextRadRadar and the HAARP project, sparking discussions and skepticism about weather warfare and whether our climate has become a manipulated weapon.
This layer of intrigue, though controversial, adds a thought-provoking dimension to our understanding of storms like Helene and the mysteries surrounding their origins.
As we examine the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, we invite you to consider the resilience of the human spirit, the vulnerability of our landscapes, and the capacity of government to render support expeditiously when disaster response is not only measured in timeliness, but the ability to cut red tape and put the people first.
Thank you for joining us in this exploration of Hurricane Helene and its profound, lasting impact on Western North Carolina and beyond.
If there was ever an application for wearing masks, it's now.
Due to all the toxins in the dust originating from the contaminated river water that washed mud into every nook and cranny of the affected towns, reports of respiratory infections are increasing, making precautions necessary.
The main road coming out of, well, downtown Asheville, which is up that-a-way, is a road called Tunnel Road.
We're at the juncture just that-a-way of Tunnel Road and Swannanoa Road.
The road's washed away.
All of the business.
This is Glendale Avenue.
Gone.
And then this is Suatanoa Road, where you see all these utility trucks?
You can't get in there.
All the businesses?
Holy crap.
These gas tanks here, they're burning fuel off right now.
Yeah, it's probably the end of the room.
Anytime you have a flare stack like that, same thing in the oil field.
You burn off like H2S, hydrogen sulfide and things like that.
It's been going for at least a week.
Oh, for sure.
It has to.
Number one, for pressure reasons.
And then number two, you've got to burn off the toxins or the gases like that.
Green building, which is where I had one of my businesses.
The black mold, and I'm talking black mold, is so toxic.
They don't want to, you had to A, sign some kind of a waiver to go in to see if you could get anything out, which there was nothing left.
And now, she's broken her lease.
You go in there, you do that at your own risk.
This is just decimated.
This was all businesses.
So you have to understand that the water literally was up over this roof, into the woods, but look at how far it came this way.
We're talking hundreds of feet.
Wilson Glass, big glass company.
It's gone.
Gone.
Holy crap!
Oh, it's all gone.
They're trying to get electricity up because clearly these people don't have power.
And this is where they kept on saying they were finding bodies.
Down there is where all the homeless people were staying.
That was where Lowe's and all those places are.
All the homeless lived there.
So where we're going next, which is the tobacco barn, there was a sheriff there talking to the owner and a friend of mine.
I'm not going to mention her name.
He said he personally, with his team, has bagged over a thousand people.
Over a thousand people.
Just saying.
Here in Swannanoa, this town ravaged by Hurricane Helene.
Water's coming up to the second story of apartment buildings around me.
Behind me, the antique tobacco farm, home to many vendors that sold fabulous items for years.
Expecting the flood may be only to come in for a couple of feet, only to find out.
That something transpired downriver in the dams that potentially created the flood here that they were not expecting.
This town established in the 1600s by the Davidson family has seen people come and go, businesses thrive and flourish along this beautiful picturesque community left in devastation.
And six weeks later, we still don't see much progress in the cleanup.
Going back to FEMA, to all the supposed recovery rescue workers that are showing up, where are they?
Where is the help for the town of Swannanoa?
Where is the help for the people in the mountains?
What will it look like one year from now?
Will the residents be able to be permitted to rebuild?
Will the businesses be challenged with additional building codes in order to Build back better?
Your family has grown up in this area.
Your family settled this area in the 1600s, so I understand.
I'm a seventh generation.
Seventh generation Swanninoan.
Yes.
This is a significant storm that impacted your area.
Just kind of walk me through a little bit about, you know, what you experienced, how you feel right now a month and a half out post Hurricane Helene.
Evacuated around six o'clock that morning.
Got a text on my phone.
Got up, packed what little we could to get out, loaf of bread, some peanut butter, grabbed a change of clothes for me and my daughter, our dog, bag of food for her, and evacuated to my uncle's house, who is my neighbor, but he's on higher ground.
And within an hour of us getting to his house, the road we came in on was completely underwater.
By about At 10 o'clock the storage shed that was in his yard floated away.
How do you feel now looking, you know, six weeks post the storm looking around you at this area still clearly evidence of mass devastation.
How do you, I mean, have you recovered?
No, not even close.
Been working with FEMA, which is a disaster.
Tell us about that experience.
Denied a dehumidifier purchase, said they would reimburse me for that if we purchased it in a generator.
Got a letter saying that The damage didn't warrant the purchase of a dehumidifier.
Did you have water in your house?
About two to three inches when I got home the next morning, so I don't know what it was like during the storm.
The water didn't actually reach my house, but it seeped up through the concrete slab.
My house is on a slab, and the groundwater got so high it came up through the floor.
It rained so hard that it was raining inside my window.
It came into the wall in my living room.
I came into my daughter's bedroom.
There's black mold growing on the wall about five feet up the nine-foot ceiling and all the way across and then in the corner there's mold all the way up.
Are you living in your house right now?
I am because I'm not able to I haven't been able to find an RV or a trailer or anything to live in.
And FEMA denied housing assistance.
Is the plan for everybody in this area that got hit?
I mean, the bridge just down the street here actually just got restored.
You've got crops that were ready to be harvested from your neighbors that are gone.
My neighbor lost a lot.
Are the people feeling like we're going to dig in, stay, and build back?
Yeah, because a lot of us are from here.
Like you said, I'm the seventh generation.
I've inherited the house from my mom.
I don't want to leave my house.
It's my childhood home.
When it comes to support for the people in the community, what I've noticed in the month that I've been here is it has been an overwhelming Support coming from the people helping people more than it's been government helping the people.
It's the good old boys on side-by-sides driving around.
The people that own dump trucks and skid steers and earth-moving equipment that showed up before FEMA ever arrived.
And we're restoring roads in areas where people couldn't get in and out.
They were making it capable for rescues to get into them.
Churches, I volunteered at a church.
Does it restore your faith in your fellow man, what you're seeing?
Community members, we had to rescue my neighbor.
He got washed off of the porch of his house when his house floated away with his dog.
And he called 911 six or seven times.
The last time I was asked to spell the town that I live in, I said, where are you?
They said, Cook County, we're four hours away.
I said, can you tell us when help is coming?
No, we have no idea when help is coming.
They'll try to get there, but The people that saved my neighbor were neighbors.
How was the election for you?
Because this of course all happened right before the presidential election.
Was the residents here able to get out and vote?
Was there an effort?
Was there an excitement about it?
Yeah, everybody was ready to go vote.
They were?
Okay.
Everybody's ready for change.
Locally, federally, state level.
We're all hoping that because of what we've lived through that there is some sort of recourse that comes from the officials that are going to be elected.
So, in that vein, President Biden did a flyover in Air Force One, and President Trump, who is now President-elect Trump, was actually on the ground in Swannanoa.
I will support and totally complete the rebuilding of every region and town and city that was devastated by the hurricane and I will slash through every bureaucratic barrier that you're having.
Tell us about the difference between the two approaches and what and what is the sort of reception by the people here looking at those two different approaches.
It definitely made those of us who were here The timing of the Biden flyover was not the best because he was in the middle of cleaning up and when helicopters were most vital to be in the air and they had to all ground because he was in the air.
So I have friends that lived up number nine that the only way to get resources was them being flown in on a helicopter and it halted that for the period of time and there's no telling how long The after effect of those planes being grounded hurt the people in those areas.
Right.
If you were an advisor, say, to President-elect Trump, how would you advise him to positively affect change inside a government response in a disaster like this in the future?
Reach to the locals.
Ask them what they need, what they did, what worked, what didn't work.
Make sure that in the future there's plans for if something like this happens, there's a timeline for the response.
I was reading on Facebook earlier today that they are now classifying this as a geological event.
We are in the 0.5% of people who will ever live through a geological event because of the number of landslides that occurred, the amount of water that moved in.
It's not being called just a hurricane.
It is an official geological event.
The End
In 1995, local artist local artist Lois Simbach bought this 100-year-old home along the French Broad River.
It took her 20 years to renovate, and she has enjoyed living in it the last 10 years.
Her home and studio were a source of community gatherings for many.
What a labor of love.
It was, and it was beautiful.
What is that?
I had a whole, this whole back area was like an indoor garden, and then I... I renovated the first part two stories, so I had like a loft on top.
So we're talking about a hundred years of history that was made even more beautiful by your presence and your touch.
It's all gone.
I know.
In an instant.
How are you feeling right now?
How are you doing?
Well, actually I feel more free.
Do you really?
Yeah.
I mean, the shock of it, my whole life went down the river and I kind of feel free and I need to make a new decision to move on.
And that's the hard part.
Are you going to rebuild?
Not here.
No, I don't think we can.
I don't know.
We're still, the town is still figuring that out.
What are you hearing?
Because I see, you know, from a month ago when I was here, the streets were filled with mud.
People were wearing hazmat suits or PPE, really.
But it's a lot cleaner today.
It's cleaner, but there's still a lot of...
Oh, a lot of work to be done.
And they haven't even touched this side of town because we're all down.
And it's going to take heavy machinery.
So what are you hearing in terms of the town of Marshall and what they are discussing?
And are the residents engaging in those conversations about the future of this town?
Well, everyone's positive because we're such a tight community, we love each other, and we're all good friends, and so everyone wants to build it back up again.
So the council seems proactively engaging in the direction of restoring the community and bringing it back to life?
It seems like it.
How are they helping you all facilitate that from a zoning perspective, permitting, etc?
We're not there yet.
Not there yet?
No.
We're still cleaning up the road.
I'm just making sure everyone has a roof over their head.
Is there any discussion that they may change how you rebuild based on floodplaning, etc.?
I think that's this area.
But downtown, you know, the buildings are still standing so they're already gutting and some are even You know, restore and renovating.
Right.
So anybody who actually lost their building like you did, you've lost your entire structure, a hundred-year-old structure, they're now telling you that perhaps you can't rebuild?
No, they're not saying anything.
No, they haven't said anything yet.
We're just waiting.
You're just waiting.
Do you have the patience to wait it out, or are you going to pack it in and move on?
What do you want to do?
No, I'm here for like, you know, definitely next year.
And you're an artist.
Uh-huh.
So where is your art being displayed?
It's in the river somewhere.
The fish are looking at it.
If there are any fish, you know.
Will you pick up a paintbrush and paint on?
Yeah, but right now I'm just up to here with paperwork.
You know, it's like, when you lose everything, it's like your birth certificate, you know, all your bank statements.
I mean, it's just like everything went down the river.
You know, and I gotta, you know, get that going.
So you said you feel free?
Because you have nothing?
Nothing to worry about?
Yeah!
Just take a little suitcase and go!
As you can see here on the side of this brick building in downtown Marshall, the water from the French Broad River crusted way above the normal river bank.
I stand at five foot eight inches tall and this is clearly two to three times my height right here.
When you take a look over here, Down to the river, you can see as I cross the railroad tracks, which are out of commission, the river is at least a good 15 or 20 feet below me there.
So really, what are we talking about?
A 40-foot crest above normal river flow?
Mike, this looks like a war zone.
Oh man, this is Ramadi.
This is Ramadi, Iraq.
This is in Helmand.
I mean, this is what this looks like.
I've worked Katrina, Gustav, Ike, Rita, and of course Harvey.
And it emulates a war zone.
Is FEMA helping out?
Are you on a FEMA contract or on a state contract?
I'm working for another man.
I'm working for Matt Yakely.
Private business.
Yeah.
He's the one that's kind of headed all this up.
To start with, we hit the ground down here first.
Oh, this is a gentleman who owns all the equipment.
I met his daughter.
Yeah.
Good people.
Good people.
Oh, yeah.
Good-hearted as they come.
Yes, sir.
That's what it takes, man.
You can't wait on anybody else.
Like I said, I was born and raised here.
I mean, it's our nature.
I mean, you just reach to get it and go.
Do you take it?
We're from Texas, and it's good to see other people like-minded.
You know, we don't wait on nobody, and this is, we help each other out.
One of the most photographed rivers in the country is the French Broad River.
218 miles long, starting in the town of Rosman in Transylvania County, North Carolina, flowing into Tennessee.
Home to many beautiful businesses and restaurants along the way, has provided summer tourism with water sports for years.
17 miles from where we are here in Marshall, North Carolina, is Silver Lined Plastics.
Sadly, during the great flood after Hurricane Helene, silver-lined plastics went underwater, and so did all of the toxic chemicals used to fabricate PVC piping.
What will be the future for this river and for tourism, specifically in water sports, and the health of the people in this community?
Do you smell that mold?
Oh yeah.
Look at that.
All the way up there.
Look at the black mold on the top.
I know.
The reports of various toxins that have entered the river due to flooding.
What are some of the precautions they're taking to prevent the spread of contaminated mud?
So we've got a food station over there, food first aid, and the mud is obviously, as we know, not safe to be around.
So just getting as much mud off as possible in the food area just to make sure that we're keeping everything out of our bodies that we can.
Is there anything down here that you all are concerned about besides mud, but like anything in the water or the mud that you might be concerned about?
I mean, other than like what everyone knows about.
What does everybody know about?
The plastic factory.
Tell me about it.
I mean, I don't know a ton about it, but just that there was a factory upstream of us that leaked contaminants that aren't good for us and that just make the mud around us unsafe and toxic to be around, which is why we're wearing all of this PPE. We've got respirator masks, gloves, trying to keep everything uncontaminated that goes in.
Okay.
This is my hometown.
I'm so sorry.
Thank you.
How do you all feel about rebuilding?
Do you know where you are mentally as a town, as a community?
I mean, I've heard quite a bit about numerous businesses that have already talked about rebuilding.
You know, we've got lots of places that have been here for a while, and unfortunately lots of places that were also very, very new.
But yeah, I've heard of at least four places that are going to rebuild.
But I think for the most part, people are feeling pretty discouraged right now.
Obviously, we're kind of in the here and now, just figuring it out as we go.
This is the first task, is cleaning it up, making it livable and safe again.
The second task is going to be making it into a community again.
But I'm hoping that our little town will come back from this, and I think we can.
I think we can.
My mom is the one helping run First Aid and Food and my dad owns a construction company called Red Shed Woodworks that is supplying all of trackos and a lot of the big caterpillar equipment that you see around.
Fantastic.
Yeah.
Seven weeks after Hurricane Helene devastated Marshall, North Carolina here in Madison County, this once picturesque little community nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains is starting to come back to life.
Signs of the city streets getting cleaned up.
Zuma right here, which is known for bringing people together, bringing musical instruments together on the weekend to get together and just jam.
Life is starting to return.
They've got a long road to go and mold and the contamination from toxic mud and dust is still playing a very important part in the cleanup process here in Marshall.
As North Carolina grapples with the devastation left by Hurricane Helene, local volunteers have stepped up in remarkable ways.
They're bringing supplies, heavy equipment, and endless determination to reach those in need.
It's truly a grassroots effort, but as these volunteers work around the clock, one question remains.
Where are the government agencies?
Where is FEMA? We are live in Candler, North Carolina.
Approaching a massive installation.
It's owned by the Smoky Park LLC, but it's got armed guards.
They've got climate controlled trucks and trailers, I should say.
It's pretty well organized.
It's got one entrance in and one entrance out.
So we're walking in and we're going to ask them live who they are, what they're doing here.
Are they under government contract?
Is it FEMA? And they're putting a tornado shelter in here, apparently.
Got a delivery.
So, stick with us.
We're gonna figure out what's going on.
I'm Ann Vander Steele with Steele News.
I'm live right now.
And I'm just wanting to find out what y'all are doing here and who's organizing and who's actually got the property under lease.
Okay.
Give me one second, and I'll go ahead and just get some supervisor to come out here and speak to you.
Okay.
Are you guys private security?
Yes, ma'am.
You are?
Who's your contract with?
Strategic Security Corps.
And who do they contract with?
You guys kind of popped this up pretty quickly.
I was talking with some of the locals.
They said it happened pretty fast.
Are these disaster relief efforts for the people in North Carolina?
Is this a contract with the federal government?
I guess I've never seen a tornado shelter mobile like that.
And I really appreciate it.
Yeah.
Because there's a lot of misinformation.
That's why we're here.
Yeah, absolutely.
Thank you.
That's why we're here.
We're just asking questions together.
He is very excited to talk to you.
Good.
Because there is so much misinformation and speculation about what this place is.
It's funny.
Hi, how are you?
I'm well.
Good.
You are Daniel Dale?
I am not Daniel Dale.
Oh, you're not.
No.
Daniel Dale's back here.
Okay.
My name's Josh Ward.
Hi, Josh.
Hi.
Dan VanderSteel.
Nice to meet you.
Nice to meet you.
This is my producer, Sean.
Hey, Sean.
Nice to meet you.
We're with Steel News.
We have been on the ground for the last couple of weeks.
This gentleman is with Remnant Ministries out of Texas.
Okay.
By the way, it's the Association of the Christian Church.
Okay.
All right.
Humanitarian Relief.
Yeah, I've been doing a bunch of stuff.
We've gone all over, and the other day we were here helping some of the people at Polk Creek Baptist Church, which is not too far from here.
They actually have a new location and a fairground.
And we saw this location a couple of days ago, and so we asked some of the neighbors what was going on.
They said, oh, it's a FEMA camp, and it's being leased by the trucking company.
We were like, the ground that the trucking company owned.
So we looked it up, and it's a different ownership.
But we were just wondering what it is y'all are doing, because FEMA's had, you know, they said they were pulling out because of militia and stuff, which that was debunked.
So we just want to get the truth out, because people are kind of like all over the place.
Understood.
Yes, definitely understandable.
We are definitely not pulling out.
We are actually building this for our responders, for FEMA responders, other federal agencies.
We have several of these sites around the area to help volunteer agencies as well that need lodging that are coming in to help the survivors in the local area.
Okay.
So that's what this is being stood up for.
So this will be for the folks that have lost everything, they need a place to stay kind of thing?
This is for the responders that are helping those folks.
Okay.
We are building these to stay out of the local hotels so that the survivors have the ability to stay in the local hotels.
Oh, okay.
Yes.
Now is there money being provided to the survivors to accommodate hotel or...
Yes, there is.
That is not my area.
That's our individual assistance and the whole other side of FEMA. Our focus is really on this side to try to do the back-end support for the operation.
And so how many responders will you house here and how long do you think your response will be?
We're building this to come up to 700 people.
Okay.
And right now, how long it's going to be, we're unsure.
Okay.
It's really a new number for us at this point.
And I mean, just because I've never seen it before, I saw a bunch of these tornado Yes.
Yes.
I don't know, but shelters.
Tornado shelters, yes.
Are you all expecting tornadoes here?
We are not expecting tornadoes.
Part of the package that goes out is to ensure that all the responders are safe.
Right.
And there's nowhere for people to take cover here.
So it's just part of the operation that goes out if there are tornadoes or Bad weather that comes through, it's somewhere for them to go.
Got it, because they're living in...
Yes.
Are they going to be in tents or mostly in trailers?
Mostly in trailers.
Mostly in trailers, okay.
And what is the tornado shelter made out of?
How is that manufactured?
Do you know?
Is it steel or...?
Honestly, I don't know.
I'm assuming it's steel.
Okay.
So you don't know how long you'll be here?
It just depends?
It really depends.
Are the contractors or the FEMA people that will be here, are they working on infrastructure?
What are their tasks, their job tasks?
Just a large, large area of tasks.
Working with individual survivors, working public assistance projects, just working with state and local personnel as well.
Yeah, there's no one set responsibility that they're focusing on.
Okay, so I actually was trying to find the contract in Sam's for you guys to figure out how you guys, and we couldn't find the contract, so what would I look for in the Sam's system to find this contract for this property and this camp that's gone up?
I'm going to have to get back to you on that.
It was through, we do have contracts, standing contracts for these that we then do task orders off of.
From a public relations perspective, because there has been so much information that, you know, has unfortunately been bad on you guys, making you guys look bad.
What is it you want to relay to the public to clear up any misconceptions they may have that FEMA's not on the ground, FEMA left because of militia, etc., etc., etc.
And we've talked to a lot of people in all around these hills, and they haven't seen FEMA. In fact, yesterday, one of the fire departments said, hey, we've had contact, but we haven't seen them.
And that was it.
So what do you want to relay?
So what I want to relay from my side, which is the responder side, you know, we haven't left.
We know that there are additional FEMA employees coming in to support the local area.
And for those that are saying that they haven't seen them yet, I know they're coming.
It takes a while to build something like this.
We did not want to bring responders in and, you know, have them become part of the problem.
So we needed to ensure that there was And in terms of gauging the necessity for longevity for each employee, What sort of metrics are you evaluating progress in the area?
I mean, you must have some kind of protocol and metrics you're following to gauge the necessity of the employees that are here, whether it's mental health, public assistance, building roads, whatever.
Yes, we do have mental health workers here as well for the teams that are coming in and out, that are staying here.
And as far as the metrics go, we kind of tie that back in with the operation back in Raleigh, as well as we got an office going up in Hickory.
That's kind of the leadership of everything that's happening out here.
Oh, okay.
So you have another facility like this in Hickory?
No, no.
It's more of an office setting.
Office setting.
Okay.
Are you building another camp like this somewhere in North Carolina?
We do have another one.
We actually have one in Flat Rock.
In Flat Rock.
Yes.
And then we're putting another one up in Wilkes County.
Oh, wow.
Okay.
Yep.
So we are trying to ensure that there is coverage in the areas that we're most heavily What are you hearing in terms of the impact population, total numbers of population impacted and perhaps even deceased and are missing?
Do you have a handle on any of that?
I do not.
Again, that's the other side of what we do.
I'm strictly dealing with the responders so that they can handle that other piece.
And lastly, your guards are very polite, but is there a reason they're all armed?
Just standard protocol.
That is standard protocol.
Yes.
Okay.
That's the first one I've seen with this many guys kind of around.
Yep, no standard protocol when we have security, they always come in armed.
I represent the Lake Lewer Chimney Rock area.
I'm sure many of you have seen the images.
The town of Lake Lure or the town of Chimney Rock has pretty much washed into the town of Lake Lure along with all the businesses and homes that were there.
You're talking about commercial kitchens, propane tanks, fuel.
You're talking about a sewage line that was washed away.
Huge environmental concerns for the lake and the ecosystem below it.
And the agency who is tasked with that, who is usually the first one on the ground enforcing these regulations, are nowhere to be found.
Helicopters fly supplies into remote areas, while excavators clear debris from roads and properties.
Fuel for resupply flows steadily, ensuring operations can continue, and ATVs traverse the rugged terrain, reaching those cut off by the storm's fury.
This is more than a relief effort.
It's a true We the People movement with neighbors, volunteers, and responders combining resources to bring life back into the mountains.
And in neighboring communities all throughout Western North Carolina, residents like Randy Buckner are busy expediting relief efforts.
So we're here trying to make sure everybody's safe, We're fed and stays warm with the cold weather coming in and this is all volunteer stuff here.
But it's been amazing.
People from all over our country, all over our nation, it just amazed me at how they came in and, well, it's pretty evident to what they have done.
It's pretty impressive.
Big thing right now is financing to help get our infrastructure and all that back and our people and then figure out how we're going to get people that lost their homes back at home.
It's going to be a long road.
How does it compare to what you've witnessed in Iraq and other parts of the Middle East?
Every tragedy is just that.
You know, you can't help when life smacks you in the face.
The only thing you can help after that is how you respond to it.
And this community has gotten up.
They got hit in the face.
They got hit in the mouth pretty hard.
But they got up.
Their neighbors got up.
The neighbors of their neighbors got up.
The counties banded together.
They're preaching the cities, then the counties, then the state.
And this is more of an individually driven passion that everyone has taken on and taken heart to.
Just driving in from Batcave on a road that the good old boys from West Virginia showed up and made in three days just to connect.
Two towns settled here in the Black Mountains of North Carolina.
The process of restoration and reclamation of what once was a proud, charming town right here is underway.
Do you need any assistance from anybody else at this time?
We need the Army Corps of Engineers to get to the private roads.
DOT will fix our main streets, but they won't touch a private road.
And we're having to go over a half mile in or cut roads in through logging trails so that the people can get in and out by side by side or four wheeler.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers falls under the Department of Defense.
While there has been evidence of the Corps mobilized to respond to this natural disaster, it just does not seem robust enough for the recovery needed here.
Bit by bit, they're restoring the daily rhythm of life, rebuilding what was lost, and showing that together, with God, no challenge is too great to overcome.
Father God, in the name of Jesus, right now we just come in the power of agreement according to Matthew chapter 18 verse 20 that says, if two of us agree he's touching anything in heaven and earth, it will be done.
We just pray that you will touch people's heart.
First off, that you would just hold people very tight with your arms, for you said you're a very present helper.
In the time of trouble, for those of the lost family members, those of the lost loved ones, for just the devastation of homes and businesses and the loss of things that are so sentimental and precious to them, that you will be Holy Spirit, the paracleto, the one that clings to and aids in time of need.
And I pray right now for the resurrection and restoration of Chimney Rock, North Carolina.
Touch the hearts of men and women and people all over this country and beyond.
To be rebuilders and restorers of life.
That is who you are.
And so we thank you that we can be the hands, the heart, and just the hope of Jesus Christ.
In the only name I know, the matchless name of Jesus Christ, we ask and pray this.
Amen.
67 days and people are still living in tents.
We have video of the FEMA compound.
They seem to be doing pretty well.
I'm just trying to figure out What people should expect?
It doesn't seem 67 days is too long to expect a trailer that the government has money for, is it?
People are living in tents.
Yes, they are.
And I'm sorry.
But, you know, let's look at the other side of it.
However, FEMA is not Jesus Christ.
We can't expect miracles overnight.
Standing here in Candler, North Carolina on a hill overlooking this enormous FEMA camp housing over 100 residential housing units and trailers in addition to over two dozen tornado shelters in the mountains of western North Carolina a month after Hurricane Helene has absolutely storm ravaged the entire area.
This camp is supposedly Home to the FEMA workers, the contractors that are going to be coming in to support state and local resources.
Supposedly, 700 people are supposed to be on site here facilitating the recovery efforts here in Western North Carolina.
To date, it's an anemic response.
We're going to do a follow-up.
The last time we were here a month ago, we were told that we should expect to see a lot more resources pouring in, yet my investigative journalism on the ground is reflecting something completely different.
We're going to take a look here shortly, so follow us as we head down to the front gate of this FEMA camp in Candler.
Looks like he's talking into his microphone, so probably he remembers me from last time.
Hi, I was here about a month ago.
My name is Ann Vanderstiel.
I'm with Steel News.
And we were just doing some follow-up questions.
We had a great conversation with Josh Wirt.
Is he here today?
Josh?
Josh what?
Wirt.
I think he just told me he can't speak to me.
Are you shutting me out?
Is there anybody here who can answer questions?
Nothing I know of.
Why so secret?
This is a federal installation we were told last time.
We're just trying to get some questions answered.
What's going on?
Hi, good morning.
Hey, how are you?
Good, how are you?
Good.
If you don't care, is there any way I can get you to just go on the gravel for me?
The gravel?
Yeah, yeah, right back here.
Is this private property?
Yeah.
Oh, high traffic area.
Okay.
Yeah, there's people coming in and out all the time.
Well, thank you very much.
My name is Ann VanderSteel.
And I'm with Steel News.
I was here a month ago.
Yeah.
Do you remember?
Okay.
And I had a great conversation with a gentleman by the name of Josh Wirt.
Do you remember that?
I wasn't here.
You weren't here, okay.
If you want to, you can talk to somebody in there.
We can get you somebody, okay?
All right.
We're just security, okay?
Thank you.
Oh, yeah.
Are you asking me to follow you?
No, I'm not.
Oh.
Yeah, we'll get somebody.
Okay.
But yeah.
Is there somebody here?
Um, we'll go ask them.
Okay.
Okay, well, that seems fairly positive.
We're going to stay in the zone of being positive.
Strategic Security Corporation is a private security company.
They do have a contract with FEMA. They are also an intelligence service company, and you can look all this up if you go to their website.
It's very obvious who they are and what they do.
But what I find interesting is when you go to other FEMA locations that are set up like this, you have A much more lackadaisical security infrastructure.
Same people, same contractors, but they're nowhere near as tight and as private about what's going on behind the gates as they are here.
This facility here at Candler, and you'll see in the drone footage, is massive.
It has expanded rapidly in a matter of days.
They're supposedly housing 700 disaster and recovery people that are coming in from around the country that work for FEMA. Whether they're contracted or directly employed, I don't know.
But that was a number we were given by Josh Wirt the last time we were here.
Yet, the number of people that are currently on this camp by the drone footage doesn't look like it's anywhere near 700. So I'm not sure how much longer it's going to take for the people to get here, but we're over a month out from the storm.
And still, when you drive and fly through the areas that have been hardest hit, you don't see government contract workers.
You see the people that are living there trying to pick up the pieces.
And frankly, they've lost everything.
They don't have the financial resources to bring a front-end loader in there and clear out roads, clear out...
The rivers that have been absolutely decimated and changed the landscape.
People's property is literally gone.
They've lost houses and the property.
There's no way to rebuild.
And so you have to ask yourself, why is the government not stepping in at this point to facilitate housing more than what they're doing currently?
Why is the government seemingly absent at this point?
And when you couple that with the resources that are in these mountains, the lithium, the silica, the quartz silica, the gold, and other resources, A different question has to be asked and of course also the weather warfare aspect of this is clearly something that has to be explored in more detail.
There's been a lot of information published showing next rad radar and HAARP lasers getting fired in steering the last storm that was here in terms of Hurricane Helene.
That has been well documented by people a lot smarter than me.
So again, the secrecy around this particular camp is kind of concerning, but I'm trying to stay open.
My name is Ann Vander Steele.
Michael, nice to meet you.
Michael, are you working for FEMA? Yes, I'm a FEMA reservist.
You're a FEMA reservist.
Is that a contract or a direct employee?
How would you say it?
So, I guess it's not a direct employee until I'm activated.
Okay.
Okay, so you are a private citizen that works and gets activated by FEMA, kind of like National Guard?
Yeah.
Oh, okay.
All right.
I didn't realize I had a structure.
So, I don't know how you would.
Okay, no, that's cool.
I just don't understand the actual structure.
So, with Steel News, we were here about a month ago.
We had a great conversation with a gentleman by the name of Josh Wirt.
Yes.
And he was very forthcoming with some awesome information about the number of people that were supposed to be here, that are contractors you're expecting to come in and facilitate.
Help to the state of North Carolina and so forth, provide resources.
Can we just get an update on what's happening and what sort of resources?
Because the coverage I've been doing, I haven't seen a lot of resources in the field helping some of the people who've literally lost only their house with their land, etc.
So we're just trying to get an update for the people.
Sure, and any media inquiries that come my way, I'm supposed to direct you guys to this and they're going to answer all your questions.
Okay, what do you got for us?
So, the news desk phone number is right there.
News desk phone number is 855-576-9990.
Email is fema-dr-4827-nc-newsdesk at fema.dhs.gov.
That's it.
That's it.
Okay.
Well, I appreciate that.
So there's nobody here that's willing to talk?
There's no PIO here?
Nothing like that?
No, not here.
Sorry.
So Joshua, does he only work Monday through Fridays?
He's not at this location.
But yeah, any inquiries, they'll be glad to help you with that phone number.
Okay.
Is there anything you can tell me about how many people are actually here working now?
No, I'm not allowed to speak.
Is there, then the last question I really have is, you know, the level of security at this campus is completely different than the one at Blue Ridge Community College versus another location down in Hickory and another, you know what I'm saying?
No, I mean, I'm not familiar with those sites, actually.
Oh, you're not?
So, I've never been there.
Oh, you haven't?
So, no, I wouldn't be able to.
I mean, they allowed us to walk on.
We were given a tour of the dining hall and so on and so forth.
So, I'm just wondering why the level of security here is so much different than the other facilities.
I wouldn't be able to answer that question.
Maybe the security guys could?
Oh, they're probably not.
They're gonna direct you to that contact.
Okay, so, um, interesting.
Alright.
Alright.
Thank you.
Well, are you guys getting a lot of traffic people coming in to help?
Um, sure.
FEMA's got everybody activated.
What's your name again, ma'am?
Ann Vanderstil.
Ann Vanderstil.
Very simply, you just now have heard from the folks at FEMA that they don't want to answer any more questions.
They're going to redirect you to the public information officer at FEMA. And frankly, that is a deflection.
That is trying to obfuscate information.
And if this is truly a facility to help the people, they should be more forthcoming to the people that are here to provide the direct information.
And so to that, I say boo on them.
But we're not going to quit.
So you saw me walk into the FEMA camp live.
Yeah, that was interesting and I realized there was something I needed to go inspect right here in my back.
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