Voters in North Carolina and Georgia have bigger problems than politics. Helene changed everything
Residents in North Carolina’s Watauga County are focused on survival rather than politics after Hurricane Helene ravaged much of the western part of the state
By MAKIYA SEMINERA
Published - Oct 06, 2024, 01:41 PM ET
Last Updated - Dec 16, 2024, 06:36 PM EST
VILAS, N.C. (AP) — Brad Farrington pulls over to grab a case of water bottles being passed out in Vilas, a small rural community tucked away in the Blue Ridge Mountains. He’s on his way to help a friend who lost much of what he owned when Hurricane Helene blew through last weekend.
His friend, like countless others across western North Carolina, is starting over, which explains why Farrington isn’t thinking too much about politics or the White House race between Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Kamala Harris right now.
“I don’t believe people’s hope is in either people that are being elected,” he said.
Farrington pauses, then gestures toward a dozen volunteers loading water and other necessities into cars and trucks.
