North Carolina residents Curtis A. Wright and Amber Wright, who were heavily impacted by Hurricane Helene, met with President Donald Trump during his visit to their state on Friday.

Curtis A. Wright argued in an appearance on "The Will Cain Show," that he thinks that North Carolinians have "been ignored" in the wake of the hurricane and said that Trump's visit was a "big relief."

"It was a lot of relief. You know, people keep saying, how are you guys doing in Asheville? And, you know, we feel like he's [sic] been forgotten. And I don't think we've been forgotten. I think we've been ignored. So for him [Trump] to come and see us today, that was a big relief. We'd previously had JD Vance come out to our house with Samaritan's Purse and some of the Grahams. And, you know, he told us that they were coming, and we were glad to see them."

‘FEMA IS NOT GOOD’: TRUMP ANNOUNCES AGENCY OVERHAUL DURING VISIT TO NORTH CAROLINA

Trump visited western North Carolina on Friday to meet with residents still dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. 

Amber Wright was asked to describe how they have been living in the wake of the hurricane and said that it has been a "true nightmare."

"We just live day by day, one day at a time, trying to clean up, trying to see what our next steps are, if we're going to be able to rebuild, if we're not going to be able to rebuild. Waiting on, you know, insurance or whatever it may be. So it's been a struggle. It really has," she told host Will Cain.

North Carolina was struck by Hurricane Helene in late September and caused over 100 deaths in the state, as well as tens of millions in damage. The catastrophic flooding caused by the hurricane was described by FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell as "historic."

FEMA has faced criticism for its relief efforts post-hurricane. During his visit Friday, Trump said, "FEMA has really let us down. Let the country down. And I don't know if that's Biden's fault or whose fault it is, but we're going to take over." 

Curtis and Amber Wright said that they had lost "everything they own" in the storm, including all of their farm equipment, and described what they would need in order to rebuild.

"What we're needing right now is a fair evaluation from our insurance company in a timely manner to pay out," Curtis Wright said. "Samaritan's Purse has been a blessing to us,They are willing to fill all the gaps that FEMA and our insurance company has not. We actually have the ability to build on higher ground on another piece of property that connects to our current farm. And that's what our hopes are, to get fair payout and just to tear down the home that we have because it's beyond 50% repairable and then start over."

While in North Carolina, Trump told reporters that he plans to sign an executive order "fundamentally reforming and overhauling FEMA, or maybe getting rid of FEMA," Trump told reporters, saying, "I think, frankly, FEMA is not good."

He also promised that his administration would step in to assist the clean-up efforts. "We're going to fix it, and we're going to fix it as fast as you can," Trump said.

Only half of the debris recovery from Hurricane Helene is complete, according to the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, and thousands of families remain in hotels.  

Fox News' Diana Stacy contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump said he plans to overhaul the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as North Carolina is still recovering from Hurricane Helene more than 120 days after the storm struck the state. 

"I'll also be signing an executive order to begin the process of fundamentally reforming and overhauling FEMA, or maybe getting rid of FEMA," Trump told reporters in North Carolina on Friday morning. "I think, frankly, FEMA is not good."

Trump also promised his administration would step in and assist North Carolina to fix the damage quickly, vowing to "do a good job" for the state. 

"We're going to fix it, and we're going to fix it as fast as you can," Trump said. "It's a massive amount of damage. FEMA has really let us down. Let the country down. And I don't know if that's Biden's fault or whose fault it is, but we're going to take over. We're going to do a good job."

Trump also said he would like to see the states assume more responsibility when disaster strikes, arguing those familiar with the state are better equipped to provide disaster response and relief. 

TRUMP, GOP LEADERS MEET AT WHITE HOUSE AS PRESIDENT PLANS VISIT TO NC, DEFENDS EXECUTIVE ORDERS

Trump also promised to work with three of the lawmakers whose areas were affected by Hurricane Helene, claiming that FEMA was "not on the ball" in assisting North Carolina in the aftermath of the hurricane. 

"So we’re going to be doing something on FEMA that I think most people agree [with]," Trump said. "I’d like to see the states take care of disasters, let the state take care of the tornadoes and the hurricanes and all of the other things that happen. And I think you’re going to find it a lot less expensive. You’ll do it for less than half, and you’re going to get a lot quicker response."

So far, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers claim that only half of the debris recovery from Hurricane Helene is complete. Additionally, thousands of families in North Carolina remain in hotels that FEMA is footing the bill for under its Transitional Housing Assistance program. 

TRUMP SAYS NEWSOM IS TO 'BLAME' FOR 'APOCALYPTIC' WILDFIRES

While these families were approaching a late January deadline that would have removed them from the hotels, FEMA announced this week it extended the deadline to May 26. In total, more than 3,000 families are eligible for the program extension. 

"It's been a horrible thing the way that's been allowed to fester, and we're going to get it fixed up," Trump told reporters at the White House on Friday prior to departing for North Carolina. "It should have been done months ago from the hurricane that took place almost four months ago. North Carolina's been treated very badly so we're stopping there." 

FAST-MOVING HUGHES FIRE ERUPTS IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY AS CALIFORNIA OFFICIALS ORDER EVACUATIONS

Trump said Wednesday in an exclusive interview with Fox News' Sean Hannity that "Democrats don’t care about North Carolina" and that was why he would visit the state for his first official trip as president during his second term. 

Trump is slated to visit California on Friday as well to survey the damage from wildfires that have ravaged the state this month. 

"It looks like something hit it, we won’t talk about what hit it," Trump said. "But it is a bad, bad situation." 

Fox News’ Jacqui Heinrich and Aubrey Conklin contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump is scheduled to visit Western North Carolina on Friday to visit locals impacted by Hurricane Helene in late September.

The president and other U.S. officials — as well as some local residents — have scrutinized the federal government's response to the devastation in the months since Sept. 27, when Helene destroyed large swaths of the Appalachian region, and killed more than 100 people in North Carolina alone. 

"Throughout the transition, both President Trump and Vice President Vance repeatedly reached out to me to check in on how Western North Carolina was doing," Republican North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis told Fox News Digital in a statement ahead of the president's visit. "That is a testament to how high of a priority the recovery and rebuilding process is for them. President Trump’s visit on Friday is welcome news for the thousands of families dealing with a state of uncertainty when it comes to securing housing."

Republican North Carolina Sen. Ted Budd similarly told Fox News Digital that he spoke to "the president and members of his team over the weekend, and the people of Western North Carolina are among his top priorities."

TRUMP WARNS FEMA FACES RECKONING AFTER BIDEN ADMIN: ‘NOT DONE THEIR JOB’

"They need a Rebuilder-in-Chief who can cut through the red tape and get folks what they need as quickly as possible, and President Trump will do just that. The people of Western North Carolina will not be forgotten by me or the president," Budd said.

Some residents continue to sleep in tents and campers despite freezing temperatures. Thousands of others staying in hotel rooms funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) through its Transitional Housing Assistance (TSA) program faced the possibility of being booted out of those rooms in early January as the TSA deadline loomed.

HURRICANE HELENE FORCES NORTH CAROLINA RESIDENTS TO SLEEP IN TENTS WHERE HOMES ONCE STOOD

FEMA officials changed their tune this week, however, after receiving criticism and extended the deadline to May 26.

More than 3,000 families are eligible for the program's extension, according to FEMA. More than 10,000 households accepted temporary shelter in hotels participating in the TSA program in the aftermath of the hurricane, FEMA said last month, but most have since moved to longer-term housing.

"The Democrats don't care about North Carolina. What they've done with FEMA is so bad. FEMA is a whole [other] discussion, because all it does is complicate everything," Trump said Wednesday in an exclusive interview with Fox News' Sean Hannity, his first White House interview since his inauguration.

"So, I'm stopping on Friday. I'm stopping in North Carolina – first stop – because those people were treated very badly by Democrats. And I'm stopping there. We're going to get that thing straightened out because they're still suffering from a hurricane from months ago," the president continued.

WATCH: TRUMP'S INTERVIEW WITH SEAN HANNITY

Trump previously visited in October 2024 before the presidential election.

Jonathan "JP" Decker, executive director of nonprofit recovery organization Mercury One, told Fox News Digital that the president's visit will be a "blessing" to the people of Western North Carolina.

Mercury One has donated everything from RVs to propane for Hurricane Helene survivors recovering from the deadly disaster. The nonprofit also stepped up to pay for hotel rooms for those who were about to lose their TSA vouchers from FEMA this month.

"I've been there multiple times. I saw one FEMA truck," Decker said. "So, when they finally heard from the president of the United States that … we're going to help you, and the fact that [Trump is] coming in town on Friday is going to be a huge blessing just to finally see someone who's looking around taking the notes of, wow, nothing has changed."

FEMA EXTENDS TRANSITIONAL HOUSING PROGRAM FOR NORTH CAROLINA RESIDENTS DISPLACED BY HURRICANE HELENE

Decker, who has responded to multiple natural disasters and other humanitarian crises with Mercury One, said he has "never seen anything like what I've seen in Western North Carolina of just no clearing out of the debris."

"We've helped support a lot of families to just stay in hotels because FEMA had threatened to drop or just didn't communicate to drop their … hotel vouchers," Decker said. "FEMA was thinking of doing that, and then we stepped in and provided care for them. But these kids who have to go to school every day and have to see that … it's devastating because these families have had no help, and they've had to figure out: What do we do after this?"

WATCH: NC LOCALS WAIT IN LONG LINES FOR PROPANE

FEMA said people checking out of their temporary housing are returning to habitable homes or have withdrawn from FEMA assistance.

"Under President Biden, FEMA’s failure to act and communicate swiftly put vulnerable families at risk with freezing temperatures outside," Tillis told Fox News Digital. "Despite our continued pressure, FEMA made little progress in providing direct housing solutions for those most affected by Helene. Things will be changing under President Trump, and his visit shows his Administration is committed to the people of Western North Carolina as he promised during the campaign."

AMERICANS SPENDING THANKSGIVING IN TENTS AS HEAT, ELECTRICITY, FOOD STILL HARD TO FIND

Tillis said he looks "forward to working with the Trump-Vance Administration to ensure that every available federal resource is deployed and that red tape preventing families from accessing housing is eliminated."

Trump announced on his first day in office that he would visit North Carolina and California amid devastating natural disasters in both states.

He made implicit reference to areas of the Smoky Mountains decimated by Hurricane Helene, claiming Democrats had abandoned the Tar Heel State in the wake of the historic storm that affected parts of North Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida.

Fox News' Charles Crietz contributed to this report.

Over the last several decades, various types of natural disasters have wreaked havoc around the U.S., but which cataclysms have cost the most?

The National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) lists hundreds of costly disasters that occurred from 1980 through 2024.

"The U.S. has sustained 403 weather and climate disasters since 1980 where overall damages/costs reached or exceeded $1 billion (including CPI adjustment to 2024). The total cost of these 403 events exceeds $2.915 trillion," the NCEI notes.

BERNIE SANDERS TAKES HEAT FOR BLAMING CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES ON CLIMATE CHANGE: ‘GLOBAL WARMING ATE MY HOMEWORK’

Hurricanes occupy nine of the top 10 spots on the "Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters" list. 

Cost estimates provided by NCEI are not precise – there are various figures reported for the disasters on the list, including the CPI-adjusted estimated cost, as well as lower and upper bounds at 75%, 90%, and 95% confidence intervals. 

Topping the list with an estimated CPI-adjusted cost of $201.3 billion is Hurricane Katrina, which slammed the U.S. in 2005. The lower bound for the cost at the 95% confidence interval is $151.3 billion while the upper bound is $242.8 billion.

"Category 3 hurricane initially impacts the U.S. as a Category 1 near Miami, FL, then as a strong Category 3 along the eastern LA-western MS coastlines, resulting in severe storm surge damage (maximum surge probably exceeded 30 feet) along the LA-MS-AL coasts, wind damage, and the failure of parts of the levee system in New Orleans," a summary notes. "Inland effects included high winds and some flooding in the states of AL, MS, FL, TN, KY, IN, OH, and GA."

Hurricane Harvey, which hit the U.S. in 2017, is the second most costly disaster on the NCEI list, at an estimated CPI-adjusted $160 billion. The lower bound at the 95% confidence interval is $108.8 billion while the upper bound is $211.2 billion.

"Category 4 hurricane made landfall near Rockport, Texas, causing widespread damage. Harvey's devastation was most pronounced due to the large region of extreme rainfall producing historic flooding across Houston and surrounding areas," part of the summary states.

The third-costliest disaster on the NCEI list is 2022 Hurricane Ian at $119.6 billion, adjusted for CPI. The lower bound at the 95% confidence interval is $83 billion while the upper bound is $155 billion.

"Ian made landfall near Cayo Costa, Florida, as a Category 4 Hurricane with sustained winds of 150 mph," and "slowly crossed Florida" before it "re-emerged over the Atlantic as a tropical storm, re-intensified into a Category 1 hurricane on September 30, and made landfall near Georgetown, SC, with sustained winds of 85 mph causing more coastal flood damage and destroying several large piers near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina," the description notes.

HELENE ‘LIKE A BOMB WENT OFF’: FLORIDA REP KAT CAMMACK DETAILS SEVERE HURRICANE DAMAGE

Ian is followed on the list by Hurricanes Maria (2017 – $115.2 billion), Sandy (2012 – $88.5 billion), Ida (2021 – $84.6 billion), Helene (2024 –  $78.7 billion), Irma (2017 – $64 billion) and Andrew (1992 – $60.5 billion).

A "U.S. Drought/Heat Wave" in 1988 is listed as the 10th-costliest disaster on the list, with an estimated CPI-adjusted cost of $54.6 billion.

"1988 drought across a large portion of the U.S. with very severe losses to agriculture and related industries. Combined direct and indirect deaths (i.e., excess mortality) due to heat stress estimated at 5,000," the summary notes.

While many Americans have been paying attention to the horrific fires devouring parts of California since last week, wildfires do not make it into the top 10 of the NCEI's list.

In that category, NCEI indicates fires in 2018 were the costliest, listing "Western Wildfires, California Firestorm," at an estimated $30 billion, CPI-adjusted. 

The Camp fire in 2018 tops the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection's (CAL FIRE) lists for "Top 20 Deadliest California Wildfires" and "Top 20 Most Destructive California Wildfires." The fire resulted in 85 deaths and destroyed 18,804 structures, CAL FIRE indicates.

The January 2025 Palisades and Eaton fires have already landed at spots three and four on the list of most destructive state wildfires, with 5,316 structures destroyed in the Palisades Fire and more than 5,000 destroyed in the Eaton Fire, though the figures are not final.

LOS ANGELES FIRES: MORE THAN 10,000 HOMES AND BUSINESSES DESTROYED, AT LEAST 10 DEAD

AccuWeather's preliminary estimate for the damage and economic loss associated with the fires ravaging parts of California is $135 billion to $150 billion. 

AccuWeather estimates $13 billion to $16 billion for the 2023 Maui wildfires and $225 billion to $250 billion for 2024 Hurricane Helene. The NCEI lists the 2023 Maui fire as "Hawaii Firestorm" and indicates an estimated CPI-adjusted cost of $5.7 billion.

Residents of Western North Carolina are confused about the Federal Emergency Management Agency's role in helping locals with disaster recovery after Hurricane Helene.

Locals are especially confused as FEMA plans to end temporary housing assistance for about 2,000 North Carolina residents on Saturday — during a snowstorm, when temperatures across the Appalachian Mountain region are expected to be below 20 degrees. 

The housing program was initially supposed to end on Friday, but FEMA pushed the deadline back to Saturday.

"I'm actually talking to several people that are losing the FEMA vouchers," Ryan McClymonds, founder of volunteer group Operation Boots on the Ground in WNC and Eastern Tennessee, told Fox News Digital on Friday. "They're terrified that they're going to have nowhere to stay for their families after today. But we did find out last night pretty late … that FEMA is extending it a whole whopping 24 hours."

TWO HURRICANE HELENE VICTIMS, A FAMILY OF FOUR AND A VIETNAM VETERAN GIFTED CAMPERS ON CHRISTMAS DAY

FEMA told Fox News Digital that its Transitional Sheltering Assistance (TSA) program is providing hotel rooms to thousands of Hurricane Helene survivors in WNC.

On Jan. 3, FEMA began notifying some families checked into hotel or motel rooms that they are no longer eligible for the program due to one of the following reasons: an inspection indicated their home is now habitable, they declined an inspection or FEMA has been unable to contact them to update their housing needs.

About 3,600 households will remain eligible to continue staying in hotel or motel rooms sponsored by FEMA past Saturday — up from the 2,100 eligible households reported by local news outlet WLOS on Thursday.

AMERICANS SPENDING THANKSGIVING IN TENTS AS HEAT, ELECTRICITY, FOOD STILL HARD TO FIND

Approximately 2,000 households will still be expected to move out of their hotel rooms on Saturday. Continued eligibility is determined on a case-by-case basis. When eligibility ends, FEMA notifies survivors approximately seven days prior to their checkout date.

The agency is also closing disaster recovery centers in the area until Monday — "due to winter weather."

"Biden and Mayorkas bankrupted FEMA to pay for illegal immigrant housing, and now American citizens who lost their homes in Hurricane Helene are essentially being told to screw," Trump spokeswoman and incoming White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News Digital. "This is unfair and arguably criminal. The good news is: President Trump will be back very soon to put Americans first again."

HURRICANE HELENE FORCES NORTH CAROLINA RESIDENTS TO SLEEP IN TENTS WHERE HOMES ONCE STOOD

FEMA said it has provided shelter to 13,000 families displaced by Helene since late September 2024, when the storm made landfall. There are currently 5,600 households currently checked into hotels, the agency told Fox News Digital.

"We got this notification on our phone, I think it was yesterday … which was the severe weather notification," Swannanoa-area resident Asha Wild told Fox News Digital. "We are told to expect power outages and possibly water outages. Yeah, I'm not thrilled about that. And in the cold."

Wild lost her house to nine feet of flooding when Helene destroyed areas of her hometown and dozens of others in the mountains, leaving 104 dead in North Carolina alone.

Power grids and other critical infrastructure are still very fragile in some areas after Helene, and residents are concerned that they could again be left without power, water, gas and even food. Volunteers in Western North Carolina and across the state have been volunteering in affected areas for months. Generous donors across the country have paid for and delivered campers to those who need housing and storage.

NC FAMILY THAT LOST 11 IN HURRICANE HELENE MUDSLIDES SAYS COMMUNITY SACRIFICED ‘LIFE AND LIMB’ TO SAVE EACH OTHER

Long lines of vehicles can be seen lining up to get propane and other necessities from various donation drives in the area. 

PUPPIES RESCUED FROM HURRICANE HELENE TO BE REHOMED WITH MILITARY MEMBERS, FIRST RESPONDERS

WATCH: Volunteers in North Carolina donate propane to those impacted by Helene

Zach Bumgarner, vice president of Bumgarner Oil, told Fox News Digital that his company has "given away 22,000 gallons of product since the storm hit." They have hosted six propane drives since late September, allowing people to bring empty propane cylinders to designated locations, where his company fills them up for free.

"You do have people in tents and you do have temporary shelters and that kind of thing. And then you throw really cold temperatures on top of it, and it does make for a dangerous situation," Bumgarner said. "So, hopefully what we're doing is helping kind of bridge some of those gaps a little bit and maybe keep somebody warm. That's really what we're trying to do."

HURRICANE HELENE: 'BACKBONE OF AMERICA' HELPING FARMERS ACROSS SOUTHEAST WHO LOST BILLIONS IN CROPS, LAND

WATCH: Drivers line up for propane

Wild said she asked her friend, who works at a local grocery store she's been going to for 18 years, how things were going.

"He said, ‘Yeah, people are kind of losing their minds.’ And I could tell it was cleaned out," Wild said.

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Steve Antle, a retired Asheville police officer who has been in contact with Fox News Digital since the day after Hurricane Helene destroyed parts of WNC, said some areas are recovering well while others remain "frozen in time." Even wealthy neighborhoods still have piles of debris and trees down, he said.

Antle has partnered with others in and outside his community to buy and deliver thousands of dollars worth of critical supplies across his hometown of Fairview and surrounding towns since immediately after the hurricane. 

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Some locals are still living in tents or campers, mostly because they do not want to leave their property. Others are still without heat and power, he said.

"I don't know what goes into their thinking," Antle said of the agency. "You know, I want to think that it's government incompetence because that's the better alternative. … And I hate to think that."

McClymonds, of Operation Boots on the Ground, became emotional when describing the people he has been helping since September.

"Don't forget about them," he said. "I saw a lot while I was in the military. And coming out here and seeing the lack of response and the lack of help is so heartbreaking. I've prayed with I don't know how many people. I've heard and held so many family members. They have lost a whole lot and work hand-in-hand with family members that have lost their loved ones due to the storm. And they're tired. And they need help."

FEMA said it is important for storm survivors to keep in touch with FEMA and provide regular status updates. Those who have questions regarding eligibility should contact the FEMA helpline at 1-800-621-3362.