Tennessee U.S. Representative Diana Harshbarger (R-TN-01) has been on the ground meeting with East Tennessee residents impacted by Hurricane Helene and working to gather and distribute supplies to those in need in the aftermath of the storm.
Harshbarger, whose district stretches from the far northeastern point of the state down to the Gatlinburg area, and her staff have deployed to multiple counties impacted by the hurricane since flood waters devastated areas to assess each community’s needs and help distribute supplies.
On Wednesday’s edition of The Michael Patrick Leahy Show, Harshbarger said it is her “job” to be on the ground with Tennesseans impacted by the hurricane, adding, “Somebody has got to be there.”
“When you have boots on the ground and you personally go to see the devastation and talk to the people…they will tell you directly what they need. When you go to the distribution sites, they tell you what they need,” Harshbarger explained.
“When I went to Roan Mountain, I was the first elected official to even appear up there at a church who was sheltering and helping people that were victimized by the hurricane…Somebody has got to be there. One thing about catastrophe and devastation and all of the damage, people just want to see you. They want to know that you’re there. Just show up. I can’t tell you the goodwill that’s created with the people I serve. It’s my job to do that. I don’t sit around and wait for somebody to tell me something. I put my boots on, and I go,” Harshbarger added.
In addition to collecting and distributing material supplies, Harshbarger’s team has also been collaborating with Tennessee political commentator Robby Starbuck, who has purchased and donated approximately 20 Starlink units to connect those in East Tennessee stranded in rural areas left without power.
Starlink units use a network of satellites in low Earth orbit to deliver high-speed, low-latency internet to the most rural and remote locations worldwide.
“My team took devices to Mountain City in Johnson County, a remote county, and then also to Roan Mountain…With that system implemented there, people can get communication out. They’ll let their loved ones know they’re safe and that may diminish the list of those missing, but this is invaluable,” Harshbarger said.
Regarding the state and federal government’s response to the hurricane in East Tennessee, Harshbarger said the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) has deployed resources to the areas impacted by the hurricane while the federal response has been “slow on the uptake.”
“Of course, we haven’t been contacted by the president or the vice president, but we do have some White House correspondents that have called to help to tell me that whatever we need, tell us what you need and it’s just their staff that are calling myself and my staff,” Harshbarger said.
Harshbarger asked that the public lift up local elected officials, first responders, and volunteers in areas decimated by flood waters in their prayers, saying, “They are working non stop around the clock.”
Nearly one week since the hurricane hit East Tennessee, hundreds of individuals remain unaccounted for and a total of eight individuals have since been confirmed dead.
Watch the full interview:
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
Photo “Diana Harshbarger” by Diana Harshbarger.
