
(DailyChive.com) – In North Carolina, families have been forced to bury their loved ones in their backyards as the number of deaths from the recent storm continues to rise. Many Americans in the affected areas are struggling to find space in morgues for the bodies. The death toll across six states has now reached at least 227, with North Carolina hit the hardest, accounting for about half of the fatalities.
According to reports, families in North Carolina are desperate, resorting to burying bodies at home. One person in Asheville said, “It’s much worse than what they’re telling us. I think there’s a massive cover-up.” This suggests that the full scale of the tragedy may not yet be public.
State and federal officials have confirmed that the death toll is likely much higher than what’s been reported. One reason for this is that many bodies have not yet been recovered. In some areas, unidentified bodies are being moved around the state as authorities search for burial sites.
A North Carolina official, who wished to remain unnamed, noted that emergency workers on the ground—firefighters, medical teams, and law enforcement—believe the numbers are being seriously underreported. “All the morgues are full, and they’ve already sent many bodies to Greensboro,” the official said. “People have no choice but to bury them in their yards because there’s nowhere else.”
Locals are increasingly frustrated with the slow response from state and federal authorities. Much of the anger is directed at General Major Todd Hunt, head of the North Carolina National Guard. Reports say the National Guard wasn’t fully deployed until the Sunday after the storm hit. Only 500 of the 5,500 National Guard troops sent to the area were from North Carolina.
Private citizens had to step in to help with recovery efforts as government officials, including the National Guard, struggled to keep up. The Biden-Harris administration has faced strong criticism for their response. During the hurricane, President Biden was at his beach house in Delaware, and Vice President Kamala Harris was campaigning in the western U.S., leading to further backlash.
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