A year after Hurricane Helene killed more than 240 people across seven states, the town hall and the fire department in Canton, North Carolina are still operating out of temporary facilities.
Some businesses and homes haven't been rebuilt, and surrounding towns are struggling after being nearly "wiped off the Earth," said Canton Mayor Zeb Smathers.
"We're absolutely just worn out because the damage to our region is immense," he told USA TODAY. "We lost 100 years of progress."
But his town and many others still haven’t received federal money and support they were promised months ago. Smathers, a Democrat, said he has sat in meeting after meeting without getting a straight answer about why that funding has not arrived.
"Don't give me excuses," he said. Our residents "don't deserve excuses. They deserve solutions."
