Why the government's Hurricane Helene recovery effort in North Carolina was so slow

NPR | By Michael Levitt,

Rob Schmitz, Michelle Aslam

Published November 14, 2026 at 5:35 PM EST

NPR's Rob Schmitz speaks with Blue Ridge Public Radio's Gerard Albert III about his new podcast A Man-Made Disaster.

Michael Levitt

Rob Schmitz

Rob Schmitz is NPR's international correspondent based in Berlin.

Michelle Aslam

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