Polygraph

Hurricane Helene destroyed 73,000 homes in North Carolina.

Posted by Michael Whatley, Checked

Polygraph verdictMixed
Sources
2 contradict
Said
1 time·
Confidence
90%
Michael Whatley@WhatleyNCOct 3, 2026
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Official North Carolina damage assessments estimated that Hurricane Helene damaged more than 73,000 homes in the state, but not all of those homes were destroyed.

What was said

… vetoed hundreds of millions of dollars worth of hurricane relief that was passed by the North Carolina General assembly and had the worst hurricane response in the country to Hurricane Helene. We saw the damage that that storm brought to North Carolina. 73,000 homes we destroyed. 45,000 small businesses were shuttered. 107 people were killed. And Roy Cooper was absolutely not there. He was not there when the storm hit and he was not there afterwards. …
Michael Whatley@WhatleyNC · · from the transcriptPost →

What we found

Contradicts. State assessments specify that the 73,000 figure represents total damaged homes, with a portion of those experiencing severe or catastrophic destruction rather than all 73,000 being destroyed.[1][2]

Supports. The North Carolina Office of State Budget and Management reported that Hurricane Helene was expected to have damaged more than 73,000 homes across the state.[2]

Sources

2 sources: 1 fact-checker, 1 primary

  1. 1No, 600 bodies weren't discovered in North Carolina ...politifact.com · fact-checker · cited for: contradicts
  2. 2Hurricane Helene Damage and Needs Assessment - NC OSBMosbm.nc.gov · primary source · cited for: contradicts, supports

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