President Biden is visiting the Carolinas on Wednesday to get an aerial view of the extensive damage. hurricane helenAn on-site briefing session regarding recovery activities was also held. Vice President Kamala Harris is visiting Georgia and receiving an update on the emergency response to the storm damage there.
The president also plans to visit Florida and Georgia on Thursday to assess the damage there and meet with affected communities.
Biden first headed to Greenville, South Carolina, where the city said public works crews and the city’s public works team were working to clear roads and restore power. He toured the affected areas from the air, a way for the president to get a feel for the devastation of the earthquake without disrupting recovery efforts.
the president and his team flew in ashevilleNorth Carolina is the hardest hit state.
Susan Walsh/Associated Press
Before Biden’s arrival, the White House announced it had authorized the deployment of 1,000 active-duty U.S. troops to “assist with the delivery of food, water, and other critical supplies to communities affected by Hurricane Helen.” . The White House announced the troops will join more than 4,800 federal personnel already deployed to help states in the region respond to the storm.
On Monday, the president announced that 600 people were still missing. search for survivors Continue. As of Wednesday, at least 175 people had died from the storm.
The president is scheduled to head to Raleigh, North Carolina, in the afternoon for a briefing at the Emergency Operations Center. Further east, Raleigh was spared the worst of Helen’s damage. Western North Carolina, where Asheville is located, bore the brunt of the damage. Parts of the highway have been destroyed, and many residents still lack reliable access to water, food and other basic necessities. east tennessee Severe damage was also seen from the storm.
Marco Bello/Reuters
The president said he didn’t want to get in the way of first responders or disrupt recovery efforts, explaining why he didn’t visit sooner after last week’s storms and why he didn’t visit more locations on the ground. did.
On Wednesday afternoon, Harris is scheduled to travel to Augusta, Georgia, for an update on the federal government’s response to the crisis. Former President Donald Trump traveled to Valdosta, Georgia, earlier this week to assess the damage.
Biden said Congress may need to return to Washington to pass additional emergency funding for the federal response to disasters. House Speaker Mike Johnson told Fox News Wednesday morning that he believes Congress will need to pass additional funding to address Herren, but that could happen after Election Day. . All members of the House of Representatives are seeking re-election this year and are campaigning in their respective districts.