Exclusive | FEMA abandons residents of devastated NC town because they cant drive around road closed sign: nobodys been bringing in supplies except civilians

BAT CAVE, North Carolina — Residents of a tiny North Carolina town that was almost totally destroyed by Hurricane Helene fending for themselves after FEMA told them that a “road closed” sign is an insurmountable obstacle for the agency to navigate.“FEMA called me and told me they wanted to inspect my house then called me back to say they couldn’t drive around the ‘road closed’ sign.They weren’t allowed,” local Chelsea Atkins, 38, told The Post.“You can drive it by car for sure, it’s not that bad, you just have to drive around the ‘road closed sign’.

I explained that to them.They said they couldn’t,” she said, recounting her maddening exchange with the embattled federal agency.Left to fend for themselves, Bat Cave residents banded together — opening the roads and starting the arduous work of cleanup and recovery.

Residents told The Post that they don’t need FEMA now — and at this point, they don’t even want to disaster relief agency to come.While the sick and elderly residents of Bat Cave were airlifted to safety a week ago, those left behind have seen virtually no sign of government agencies, save for a handful of Louisiana State Police troopers “keeping an eye on everything,” who locals say haven’t done much of anything.The intermittent whir of military chinook helicopters buzzing over the town serves as a reminder that people in the devastated west of the state are getting help — just not in Bat Cave.Here, apple orchard workers armed with chainsaws worked with a local grading contractor to clear the roadways well before the Department of Transportation arrived to help, although they were grateful for the assist when it finally arrived.The few remaining locals have scavenged building supplies to shore up homes teetering on the edge of the Broad River, which is now ten times wider than it was before Helene carved its path of destruction.Atkins, a health researcher, originally from Buffalo, NY, said she thought she was...