Hurricane victims asked FEMA for a new window, the agency refused and instead wasted thousands of dollars
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Hurricane victims asked FEMA for a new window, the agency refused and instead wasted thousands of dollars

Posted on by Amelia Pressman

A Charlotte, North Carolina, woman claimed Wednesday that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) refused to cover a minor window repair after Hurricane Helene, instead offering her a month-long stay at an expensive hotel.

Susan Lewis, 74, said repairing the small window crack would cost $200, but said FEMA suggested housing her and three others at the Charlotte Marriott SouthPark Hotel for a month — an option that cost the agency thousands, according to WSOC of dollars would cost -TV. Lewis said she had to pay for the repairs out of pocket because she had a $1,000 home insurance deductible.

“I live on Social Security,” she told the outlet. “I’m, you know, a 74-year-old woman, and all these little extra expenses really add up.”

Lewis described frustrating interactions with FEMA representatives, claiming they strictly followed scripts rather than being responsive to her specific needs. (RELATED: ‘America Last’: GOP senators condemn Biden for sending $1 billion to Africa as hurricane-ravaged regions struggle)

“When I called, I said twice, ‘Would you please go away from your script’ and ‘I know you’re a sensible person,'” she said. “I said, ‘Just listen to me.’ And they just kept reading from the script.”

The 74-year-old raised broader concerns about FEMA’s approach to disaster relief, fearing that legitimate claims could be denied while resources were misallocated.

“It makes me so sad to think that they may be turning away people with legitimate claims who really need them,” Lewis told the outlet. “I mean, when I hear about people living in tents and freezing, I think they could use a hotel room, and it just breaks my heart how bad things are here.”

Their claims come amid ongoing scrutiny of FEMA’s response to Hurricane Helene. A whistleblower alleged discriminatory response protocols in November, claiming an internal directive directed agents to avoid homes with Trump campaign signs, The Daily Wire first reported.

FEMA Director Deanne Criswell acknowledged that an internal investigation into the allegation was underway during a House hearing in November, but denied direct involvement in the matter.

“I haven’t spoken to them personally,” Criswell said. “I have a whole team focused on this investigation.”

According to WSOC-TV, a FEMA spokesman declined to comment specifically on Lewis’ case, saying the agency’s hotel coverage was designed to repair widespread damage to infrastructure from the hurricane.

The Daily Caller reached out to FEMA for comment but did not receive a response at the time of publication.

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