Relief efforts continue in North Carolina and Tennessee following Hurricane Helene two months ago. People lost their lives, homes, jobs and property in the devastating storm that hit the state as a tropical storm on September 27. Among those delivering relief from Alabama was Michael Stapleton of Locust Fork.
Stapleton, the admin of "Pissed off Nation" on TikTok, responded within 10 days of the storm.
"So, I was cruising TikTok one night just out there in the streets like we do and somebody made a video about what FEMA was doing to them in North Carolina," Stapleton told 1819 News. "Now, I'm about a 35, 37-year veteran of the trade skills and I've worked storms my whole life. I've worked Katrina, Rita, Michael, Ida, Andrew, Hugo. I've worked a lot of storms and I had never seen this before."
Stapleton said what he saw was disturbing. Citizens were being left in the dark, without resources. So, Stapleton decided to act. His TikTok followers and others raised over $300,000 worth of relief materials. Stapleton and other volunteers have built two bridges to help communities access their properties.
"We wanted to help and we have gotten these communities back into their houses and they can get propane now," he said. "Trucks can cross, utility trucks can cross. It gave them a little liberation."
@pissedoffnation_hp #PON #FTP ♬ Incoming - Audio Decor Sound Effects
After over a dozen trips, stocking a distribution center in Tennessee and making deliveries to several communities in the hardest-hit areas of North Carolina, Stapleton said the situation is still dire, and he doesn't know when he will be able to take a break because he doesn't trust the federal government will step in anytime soon.
"It all started; every bit of this unity started from FEMA telling American people to go **** themselves," Stapleton claimed. "I've been making them stay unified. I've been rubbing FEMA's nose in this."
Stapleton said he has witnessed continued tragedy and still little help from the federal government.
"There's a lot of people that don't have homes," he said. "DHR has went in and told the homeless people that they can't keep their children in the homeless environment; that they're going to take their kids and have done so on one or two occasions that I know of for a fact. They remove children from homes where it's not conducive for living but they don't want to help the parents, but they'll snatch their children."
"So you've got people living in homeless encampments in the woods, in tents, because they're literally scared to death of what these people are going to do to their children," he added. "It's cold. When I got to work this morning, it was 27 degrees. We have higher elevations there. When we came through Banner Elk, there was eight inches of snow on the ground already, and the wind was blowing 40 miles an hour."
With 144,000 followers, Stapleton has been able to collect donations from all over the nation. He vowed to continue his fight, even with pushback from government officials.
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email erica.thomas@1819news.com.
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