New DHS chief Markwayne Mullin visits town devastated by Hurricane Helene, promises reforms to FEMA

Key Points:

• Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin visited Chimney Rock, North Carolina, a town severely impacted by Hurricane Helene in 2024, to discuss FEMA reform focused on shifting disaster response funding more directly to state and local governments rather than FEMA acting as the primary responder.
• Mullin acknowledged ongoing challenges in disaster recovery, including bureaucratic delays and backlogs, and emphasized efforts to accelerate approvals ahead of the 2025 hurricane season, highlighting recent FEMA funding of $26 million to buy out 75 homes in flood-prone areas.
• Local officials and emergency responders described the hurricane as a "thousand-year storm" causing extensive damage and recovery difficulties, with Mullin expressing openness to streamlining processes but cautioning that the federal government cannot solve all problems alone.
• Mullin rejected notions of eliminating FEMA, framing the administration’s goal as reforming the agency to reduce bureaucracy and increase efficiency, while also noting the ongoing search for a permanent FEMA administrator pending Senate confirmation.
• The visit underscored the emotional and physical toll on the community, with Mullin engaging personally with residents and officials, symbolized by his offer to frame a damaged American flag recovered during rescue efforts, as a gesture of solidarity amid ongoing recovery struggles.