President Joe Biden said he plans to visit on Monday North Carolina On Wednesday, it called the situation “the worst ever” to survey the damage caused by Hurricane Helene.
During his visit, Biden said he will receive a briefing at the Emergency Operations Center in Raleigh and then fly to Asheville.
“It’s a lot for me in terms of helping out there, going down to Asheville, cutting access to survey other damage from the air,” Biden said. “And I plan to travel to Georgia and Florida as soon as possible after that.”
More than 100 people died as a result of the hurricane. According to NBC News. At least 40 people have died in Buncombe County, western North Carolina City of Asheville is located. Many people are reported to have no water, electricity, cell phone or internet service.
On Sunday, Biden called the damage from the storm “tragic” and said his administration was trying to determine the number of victims.
“There’s a difference between the numbers that FEMA uses and the numbers that the locals use. So it’s really amazing. You’ve seen the photos. It’s amazing,” he said.
The White House said Sunday that Biden told FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell that he “intends to travel to affected communities this week as long as it does not disrupt emergency response operations.”
Biden was briefed by Criswell and Homeland Security Advisor Liz Sherwood-Randall on the effects of the hurricane in the states that were significantly affected: Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama and Virginia. Biden approved emergency disaster declaration requirements for most of those states ahead of the storm.
Criswell had planned to visit North Carolina on Monday after surveying damage in Florida and Georgia over the weekend.
At a rally in Erie, Pennsylvania on Sunday, former President Donald Trump criticized Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris for their response to the hurricane and for not visiting storm-hit areas. Trump visited Valdosta, Georgia on Monday.
“So [Biden’s] while sleeping at home on one of his many properties and [Harris is] trying to raise more money in San Francisco, which he destroyed,” Trump said.
Vice President Kamala Harris visited FEMA headquarters in Washington, D.C. on Monday afternoon and addressed the agency’s employees.
“You are so selfless in serving our country, especially at a time like this when people desperately need help, support, and knowing that resources will be expedited so they can be what they need. it’s where they’re at their most vulnerable, where their families are at risk, where their homes can be destroyed,” Harris said.
Harris said he has spoken with Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper and plans to be on the ground to survey the damage “as soon as possible” without halting relief efforts.
Harris pledged that the administration would provide needed support and resources to communities affected by the storm.
“We will do everything we can to help you recover and rebuild,” he said.
Elyse Perlmutter-Gumbiner and Tara Prindiville contributed.