Apparently there aren't enough lesbian first responders in Appalachia, because the Biden administration has decided to leave the victims of Hurricane Helene out in the cold. 

Literally out in the cold. As a major snowstorm barrels into Western North Carolina, FEMA has decided to kick North Carolinians who have seen their lives upended by the hurricane out of their temporary shelters and into their pickup trucks to ride it out with their kids. 

I follow a lot of people on X who are still engaged in the relief effort, and the cleanup is nowhere near done. Body parts are still being unearthed, hundreds of people are still missing making the official death toll something of a joke, and the survivors are getting precious little help from the federal government. 

For all the talk we heard that the feds were on the job, so far we have seen Trump supporters denied aid, temporary housing that was promised (trailers, for God's sake, so not that hard to provide) hasn't appeared and FEMA keeps whining about funding as they take over office and living space while leaving people out in the cold. 

Appalachia North Carolina: A ballad of the unseen; it is grotesque, cruel, enraging & yet not unexpected the way the people of Appalachian North Carolina has been unseen by Biden admin since hurricane Helene #WNC We need more outrage people get after it https://t.co/N946FhoIIM

— ZitoSalena (@ZitoSalena) January 10, 2025

Salena Zito has a story in the Washington Examiner that would make your heart break and your blood boil. She, rightly, argues that the reason for government indifference to the plight of residents is simple: they are invisible to the elite. Too poor, too remote, and I would add, too Republican to matter. 

Who in North Carolina is going to step up for these families? Every single elected official should be working around the clock to force FEMA or state emergency management to extend these hotel vouchers. It’s 14° outside and FEMA wants to make these hurricane victims homeless. https://t.co/y9Gf4EOZoK

— Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) January 9, 2025

It isn't just Helene's victims. This is part of a pattern of indifference to the suffering of Appalachians. Remember East Palestine? It took months for anybody high up in the administration to even show up, and the stonewalling about the poison spewed into the air is still going on. 

Not so for the California wildfires. President Biden showed up, although he only seemed to care about the birth of his great-grandchild. Of course he is barely conscious, so that is no surprise. But he also has promised that the federal government will cover 100% of the initial cost of recovery efforts. 

President Biden on disaster relief efforts in Los Angeles:

“Today I am announcing that the federal government will cover 100% of the cost for 180 days. This is gonna pay for things like debris and hazard material removal, temporary shelters, first responders salaries, and all… pic.twitter.com/GpMH2PTIpT

— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) January 9, 2025

The effected Californians are wealthy donors who sustain the Democratic Party, so there is that. No worries about FEMA's budget all of a sudden. The victims are in the spotlight--rightly--and they have the benefit of being right in the middle of a major metropolitan area filled with journalists who will highlight their suffering. 

After Western North Carolina got hit by Hurricane Helene, a bunch of good ol’ boys and coal miners came down from West Virginia with their heavy equipment to rebuild roads that had washed out and left families stranded. Quite a few are still working there, sometimes finding… pic.twitter.com/r1CsJKgWHY

— Dr. Ben Braddock (@GraduatedBen) January 7, 2025

I feel as much for California's victims--I have already sent a modest contribution for families in need--as for the Appalachians. But the media and the government don't feel the same way. The California fires are easy to cover and the victims are the friends and contributors who the media and Democrats care about. 

Not so the victims of Helene. 

A few thoughts. It’s California, one of the bluest states in the country. The palisades is heavily Democrat. Many donors and celebrities friendly to the Dems live there. Newsom is their golden boy and likely the ‘28 Dem frontrunner for president, and he is coming across as…

— Mike the Terrible 🇺🇸 (@MikeHeals73) January 10, 2025

You can still find plenty of videos and news from the recovery efforts there, but not in the Pravda Media. It is on X and from locals who are still dealing with the crisis. 

When I went to North Carolina three weeks after Hurricane Helene, there were families sleeping in tents because their FEMA vouchers had already run out https://t.co/GDdGwFOJsp

— Cabot Phillips (@cabot_phillips) January 10, 2025

Much of the problem is that when people are out of sight they are out of mind. Every bit of the Los Angeles disaster will be documented and broadcast to the world with history's biggest megaphone--the Pravda Media. Covering North Carolina's remote regions is difficult, and outside of Asheville, the hotels are not cushy places with the right sort of people. 

SHE’S RIGHT.

Western North Carolina Helene victim, Eileen, calls out the mainstream news for lack of reporting as well as the failure of assistance provided by the government. Gut-wrenching.

Footage from Chronicles of Olivia pic.twitter.com/ccQArnqGeg

— Frank Fighting For Faith & Freedom 🕊️🇺🇸 (@thinktankfranks) November 26, 2024

So, the people fall through the cracks, as they always do. The elites think of the victims as hillbillies who shouldn't even be living in the remote sections. They need 15-minute cities, anyway. So, sell the land to FEMA and start over. 

Rest assured that Los Angeles victims won't be ignored--they have money and political pull--while Appalachians continue to suffer because they are invisible. 

Welcome to Biden's America.