Why Hurricanes Helene and Milton Could Be the October Surprise
As Donald Trump spreads misinformation about Democrats not helping people impacted by deadly Hurricane Helene, there’s a reason he may be antsy: those victims are mostly Republicans.
The Sun Belt battleground states of North Carolina, Georgia and Florida are taking a pummeling from two megastorms less than a month before Election Day. And history shows: a hurricane a month before a major election depresses turnout. This year, many of the hardest-hit regions are Trump strongholds.
In Western North Carolina, 25 counties were included in the “designated disaster area” ravaged by Helene. According to data, voters in those areas are overwhelmingly independent and Republican. In 2020, they supported Trump by a wide margin, helping him win the state. If they don’t vote this time around, Kamala Harris supporters could easily tip the toss-up state into her column.