RALEIGH – Half of North Carolina adults say they are dissatisfied with the government’s response to Hurricane Helene, according to a new SurveyUSA poll commissioned by WRAL-TV and WSOC-TV.
The poll found 23% of respondents were very dissatisfied and 27% were somewhat dissatisfied. Another 28% were somewhat satisfied, 9% were very satisfied and 13% were unsure. In western North Carolina, where Helene caused the most severe damage, 63% said they were dissatisfied and 5% said they were very satisfied.
SurveyUSA interviewed 900 North Carolina adults online from Oct. 7 through Oct. 11. Participants came from Lucid’s nonprobability online panel. The poll’s methodology statement gives the adult sample a credibility interval of 4.2 percentage points. Because the sample was drawn from an online panel rather than a random list of all voters, the result should be treated as a snapshot of opinion, not a prediction.
The finding lands as recovery work continues more than two years after Helene. The North Carolina Department of Public Safety says its physical Helene resource centers closed July 1, 2026, while residents can still seek assistance through state and federal recovery programs.
The response has also become part of North Carolina’s 2026 U.S. Senate campaign. Democrat Roy Cooper was governor when Helene struck in September 2024 and during the first months of recovery. Republican Michael Whatley was tapped by President Donald Trump in January 2025 to lead federal recovery efforts in western North Carolina. Both campaigns have criticized the other’s record, though WRAL reported that neither candidate has made Helene a central campaign theme.
The poll does not assign responsibility among federal, state and local agencies, and it does not ask respondents to rate Cooper or Whatley individually. It instead measures broad public satisfaction with the government response, making the result relevant to a continuing policy debate but not a direct measure of support for either Senate candidate.
SurveyUSA’s findings show dissatisfaction remains especially pronounced in the region most affected by the storm. The numbers also give the Senate campaigns a fresh measure of how voters view a recovery effort that spans multiple administrations and levels of government.
Sources
- SurveyUSA: North Carolina Hurricane Helene response poll
- WRAL: North Carolina views of Helene response and recovery
- North Carolina Department of Public Safety: Tropical Storm Helene recovery resources
Photo Credit: NOAA/National Weather Service GOES-16 GeoColor satellite imagery of Hurricane Helene moving through the Southeast on Sept. 26-27, 2024; public domain as a U.S. federal government work.
Editor’s Note: This article was drafted with the assistance of artificial intelligence and was reviewed and fact-checked by a member of the NC Political News editorial team before publication.