FEMA distrust makes some North Carolina residents hesitant to apply for hurricane aid

Only about 15 percent of households in the affected region have applied to the agency for individual and household assistance, according to a Post analysis of months of FEMA data up to the second week of December. It’s a low number, three independent experts and a FEMA official said, given how many people are in need. It’s far less than Georgia and South Carolina, states that sustained comparatively less damage, but where about twice as many households have applied.

Rampant misinformation and conspiracy theories early on about FEMA’s motives and plans inflamed a long-existing skepticism about government here. That, combined with a federal response that has been trying to navigate complex logistics in a region that is not used to big disasters, is threatening people’s chance to get critical help and, ultimately, the state’s ability to rebuild.

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