Vice President JD Vance on Monday traveled to Damascus, Virginia, which was hit hard by Hurricane Helene in September. It was his first official trip as vice president.

SPARTANBURG COUNTY, S.C. (WSPA) – Tuesday night is the deadline for Hurricane Helene victims to apply for FEMA assistance in South Carolina. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has been in the Upstate since Helene hit in September, providing assistance.

President Trump recently floated the idea of getting rid of FEMA. It would take an act of Congress to make that happen.

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump, who on Friday talked about shutting down the Federal Emergency Management Agency, on Sunday night issued orders for a commission to investigate the disaster response agency that is so familiar to people in hurricane-prone south Louisiana.

U.S. Republican Rep. Chuck Edwards will serve on the "Council to Assess the Federal Management Agency," which was established via executive order on Jan. 24.

FEMA was absorbed by DHS in 2003, prompting criticism that its highly bureaucratic nature rendered the agency ineffective in addressing natural disasters.

Vance slams FEMA for incompetence Monday in Damascus, Virginia, a town near the Tennessee border that was devastated by Hurricane Helene.

Hurricane Helene in Georgia and South Carolina, it is important to act quickly, as the deadline for FEMA assistance is approaching.

You have nine days left to apply for FEMA Assistance for Helene. The deadline to apply is February 9th. President Donald Trump did tour hard hit areas in Western North Carolina. You do not need to wait for your insurance settlement to apply.

FEMA provides funds to governments and individuals to rebuild after natural disasters, but Trump has criticized it for being too slow and costly.

Trump orders a review with the goal of an "immediate, effective, and impartial response," but critics say heʻs politicizing disaster aid.