Remarks by President Trump at Briefing on Hurricane Florence Recovery Efforts | Cherry Point, NC
And I am grateful for the federal component but I am as grateful, Governor, for the way the state emergency management folks and first responders, who in some cases have been volunteers in local communities that had a boat, aided their neighbors. And that's what's so great about this state.
Thank you, Mr. President.
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you, Richard, very much. And Tom?
SENATOR TILLIS: Well, just very briefly, just to echo everything that Senator Burr said, we're now moving towards the next step, which is getting the initial funding for recovery. We've made a request. We'll be moving forward with trying to get the money in place for some of the initial recovery. But then we'll work very closely with the Governor.
Governor, thank you for being so prompt on getting the initial need in. That was very instructive to the appropriation request. We'll continue to work with state and local authorities.
And just thank all the volunteers, as well - the Red Cross and everybody else who have come together. And Congressman Rouzer, every one of the counties in his district were affected. He's been working hard. He's been on the ground the entire time. And this is when North Carolina and America is at its best. We're all coming together and working for the people in North Carolina and South Carolina.
And, President, thank you for your leadership.
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much. Thank you, Thom. Thank you. And for you leadership.
As Thom and Richard said, we're getting all teed up for a lot of money to come down to the area. You're going to need it. And we have it, and we will be supplying it. And there will be nothing left undone. You'll have everything you need.
So we're going to have - it's going to be probably a rough two weeks, and then it will get a little bit softer. But it's going to be - people don't realize how a very difficult phase is beginning probably today with a beautiful sunshine. So your two representatives and your - by the way, your congressman, are working very hard. So we'll have it all taken care of. Thank you very much, Congressman. Thank you very much. Appreciate it very much. Great job.
Does anybody have anything to say? Any of our folks?
Administrator McMahon, would you say something please?
ADMINISTRATOR MCMAHON: Thank you very much, Mr. President. First of all, I'm a North Carolina girl. I was born and reared in New Bern. Both my parents were civil service employees right here at Cherry Point Air Base. So I feel like I've come home.
I'm the Administrator of SBA, and I just want to let all of you know that where SBA comes in is on the front side, but we are immediately right there. As a matter of fact, we're already staged at East Carolina to deploy our folks into the field to get people's businesses back up and running, to get them back in their homes. This is the time that SBA actually makes the loans and not just guarantees the loans.
So please go to SBA.gov and click on the "Disaster" banner. It will take you to the right place. We've already approved, I think, just a little - fewer than 10 applications already for mortgages and loans for businesses. So they're low interest, they're long-term fixed rates. So please allow us to help you. Go online and start getting your applications in so that we can help our communities and our homeowners and even renters who have lost personal property in the storm get back on their feet.
Thank you, sir.
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you, Linda, very much. Anybody? Any questions? Statements? Congressman?
REPRESENTATIVE ROUZER: First of all, let me thank you for being here. You have a great heart for the American people. That's one of the things I like so much about you. And it just really means a lot for you to be here at this particular time.
We have a lot of folks that are really, really hurting. And I got a couple of points I want to make, but before I forget, though, I want to thank Brock Long and his team. I've been with him for the past several days. They're doing incredible work. Everybody around this table is just doing a lot of collaborative, great work together.
Your Admiral here at Coast Guard - I walked in the airport, RDU Airport, the other day, and saw doctors and nurses that were stranded, trying to find a way back to New Hanover Regional Medical Center. And this guy here helped us get it cleared to get them on that C-130 and take them to ILM Airport.
And I don't think I've ever seen a CEO of a hospital that was happier than our CEO at Hanover Regional the other day.
So your team is doing an incredible, incredible job. A few things I want to mention: Housing is so critically important, as you know. Infrastructure, incredibly important. I serve on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, as you know. Really looking forward to working with you as we move forward on rebuilding our infrastructure, not just here post-storm, but we've got to do a lot of pre-mitigation work for the next storm.
You know, these storms aren't going to end. They're going to keep coming. And the more we can prepare, the more we can clean out these rivers, these ditches, all the creeks and streams, they're all - they're all stopped up. That's part of the reason why we have such a monumental flood. My district, as Senator Tillis said, eight of my nine counties are completely - almost completely underwater. They're all major disaster areas. And so I think rebuilding this infrastructure is going to be critically, critically important.
Of course, housing is number one. Agriculture in my district - huge component of this state - $87 billion industry. I see Steve Troxler here in the audience - our Commissioner of Agriculture. We've got to have more than just a new farm bill. We've got to have a real disaster package for agriculture as well.
And then our beach communities: Our beaches, our inlets and our waterways are a key component of infrastructure in this country. It's vital to tourism in my district, as you know. And of course, I know you're quite familiar with Wrightsville Beach in Wilmington and that area, and Brunswick County, Pender County. All these counties need a tremendous amount of help. And I just thank you and appreciate you being here and appreciate all the work of your entire team - not only now, but as we move into the future.
THE PRESIDENT: Appreciate it very much, Congressman.
COMMISSIONER WHITE: Mr. President.
THE PRESIDENT: Yes, please.
COMMISSIONER WHITE: My name is Woody White, and I represent 220,000 citizens of New Hanover County. I want to thank you for coming here. I'd like to echo the comments that were very ably made by David and the others around the table about what's been done. And I also want to share with you the hope and optimism that our people have about the economy that you've created, about the people that you put back to work. Because all these next two or three or four phases of recovery are better because of the preparations, the economy that you have created, and we appreciate it.
I have been out in our community since this storm before it began, in it every day since it was here. And folks are cutting trees, putting power lines up, feeding their neighbors, loving each other, caring for each other, and they have incredible hope and optimism in the future.
It tells me something that you brought the Administrator of the Small Business Association here today, that you're thinking about the future too. I own a small business, and they're the lifeblood of our economy in New Hanover County. And we thank you for being here and for your leadership.
THE PRESIDENT: That's really nice. I appreciate it very much. The economy is, fortunately, doing really well, and I would say maybe the best economy our country has ever had. So that's important.
And we want to get everybody back to work so they can, you know, take (inaudible) - because this area has been very badly damaged. But we'll get it up and working again, Governor, very quickly. I have no doubt about it.
Anybody else? Anybody? Yes.
MAYOR JONES JR.: Mr. President, hi, I'm Jerry Jones, the Mayor of Morehead City.
THE PRESIDENT: Hi, Jerry.
MAYOR JONES JR.: And just on behalf of a grateful community - and not just talking about Morehead, but talking about coastal North Carolina - your presence here today means a whole lot to all of us. It means, you know, we're not left stranded alone on this island. It means the federal government is here helping us, along with the state government and many local governments.
And being a mayor of a small town and having to - being the boots on the ground and walking the food lines with my constituents - and not just my constituents; I've got people from outside the county. Just building up something that you said earlier about community pride and spirit - I mean, the community spirit is, from what I've witnessed, is as high as it's ever been.
THE PRESIDENT: Great.
MAYOR JONES JR.: It is - it is not - and what I've learned also, that communities aren't just in neighborhoods, they're not just in towns and states; I'm talking about a national community. People have come from all over the nation to come to Carteret County to assist us. And just on my way up here, I had three phone calls from people throughout the state that wanted to bring provisions down to Carteret County. And so I'm helping organize that.
And when I walked through the lines of the people - and I have to say this: My first experience, I've never stood in line before to get a drink of water or a meal or sandwich or any way. The people, you know, when I ask them, my first question to them is, "How are you? Are you safe?" And they said, "Yeah, we're safe. However, my neighbor, you know, they lost everything they had. You know, my house is under water." And my response to them always is, "Yes, but at least we are here today talking about it." And they always just give praise to God when that's mentioned.
And so I'll know we'll get through this together. It's baby steps, as we all mentioned. Although it happened overnight, the rebuilding is not going to be overnight. But from the state and local level, the federal level, we'll make it happen.
And again, just the presence of everybody around this table is going to mean a whole lot to everybody affected with Hurricane Florence. So, thank you.
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much, Mayor. Appreciate it.
COMMISSIONER MANSFIELD: Mr. President, Mark Mansfield, Chairman of the Carteret County Commissioners. And I want to thank you and your team for coming down with Governor Cooper, Senator Tillis, Senator Burr, and other representatives.
And I'd especially like to thank Lieutenant Governor Dan Forest. He came down the day after the hurricane and visited us personally at the emergency operations center.
Things are still dire in Carteret County. We have - over half of our whole county is without power. We obviously have had the river and the creek flooding - storm surge flooding. And Williston to Stacy, they had probably 8 to 12 feet of water in homes.
These people have been displaced, and we are temporarily sheltering, neighbors are sheltering, but we're going to need help with shelter.
The big thing is public safety. We haven't had trash pickup since the Wednesday before the storm. They've cut and run. We're getting back open now. But for health reasons, we need to make sure that we get all of your guys' help to expedite the boots on the ground.
I mean, I know protocols and procedures - you've got manuals - but as I look around, I see the military force here, anybody who's done training, you know training is one thing, but being in the foxhole when the bullets are coming by your head are completely different. And we hope we will have all your continued support to help our boots on the ground, facilitate the resources, and help the people of our county and the surrounding counties in Eastern North Carolina.
I thank all you guys again. We appreciate all you're doing. And we'll probably be asking you for more. Thank you.
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much. Appreciate it. Excuse me?
MS. GOOD: (Inaudible.)
THE PRESIDENT: Yes, please.
MS. GOOD: Mr. President, thank you so much for being here, for coming to North Carolina. The story for Duke Energy is also a story of partnership. And so I'm pleased to report that we've restored a million and a half citizens for power. We have 150,000 to go. And we will not leave until that power is restored.
Now, we had the opportunity to work with so many around the table that have made it possible with the Governor and his administration, with Director Sprayberry, with the federal agencies, Secretary Nielsen, Under Secretary Krebs, not only the planning but the resources necessary to restore power on this scale. So we thank you for the leadership and the partnership. It's made it possible. And we're anxious to get 150,000 more citizens back.
THE PRESIDENT: Good. Thank you very much. And how is Lake Norman, that area? How is that doing?
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