A $1.6 billion cleanup effort in communities hit by Hurricane Helene has spawned fears that the aggressive operation damaged rivers and hurt endangered species, raising bigger questions about the federal response to ever-frequent disasters.
Federal contractors are wrapping up a FEMA-funded effort to clear staggering amounts of storm debris from the mountains of North Carolina. But some survivors say that the cleanup has stripped streams, wetlands and streambanks of plants and wood key to the ecosystem’s recovery.
“We’re scratching our heads and thinking the recovery activities were actually more damaging than the storm itself to these animals and some of their habitats,” said one state official, granted anonymity to speak freely. “Of course, we’re always going to prioritize reducing danger to people, but we need to do that in a way that’s responsible to our natural environment.”
Local fishing guides, biologists and environmentalists are calling for changes to the federal cleanup process, which they say lacks sufficient oversight.
