Biden sees the damage caused by Hurricane Helene in North Carolina, while Trump reacts violently to it

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden said he will visit storm-ravaged North Carolina on Wednesday, as communities in the western part of the state recover from devastating flooding caused by Hurricane Helene and Republican rival Donald Trump questions the federal government's response to the powerful storm raises.

Biden announced the travel plans as he was briefed on FEMA's current hurricane relief efforts at a briefing Monday from the Oval Office.

“I’m going to North Carolina on Wednesday. “It's planned now,” Biden said, adding he would land in the state capital Raleigh for a meeting at the Emergency Operations Center before later conducting an air tour of damaged communities.

More: Hurricane Helene collides with 2024 election as Trump visits Georgia

He also said he would travel to Georgia and Florida “as soon as possible” to assess the damage.

Earlier in the day, Biden said he wanted to ensure his presence would not disrupt recovery efforts before completing a trip.

During the Oval Office briefing, Biden spoke with North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper and FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell, who appeared together on a video screen. Biden expressed his condolences to “all families whose loved ones have died or are missing” and emphasized that his administration “will be there to complete the recovery.”

More: Biden on the Helene disaster: “We’re not leaving until the job is done”

“It’s going to take a hell of a long time,” Biden said, but noted that with federal support, the state “has reopened 220 roads to help emergency responders reach people.”

Biden said “thousands of federal forces are deployed in communities” to support search and rescue efforts, clearing debris, restoring power and restoring cell phone networks to network readiness.

Cooper thanked Biden for the federal funds that have flowed to his state. “As you know, this was a devastating storm,” Cooper said.

Vice President Kamala Harris said during a briefing at FEAM headquarters in Washington that she also planned to be on site “as soon as possible” to provide hurricane relief efforts, also emphasizing that she wanted to avoid disruption.

Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, visited Valdosta, Georgia, to help with relief efforts and stressed he was not there to talk politics. Still, on Sunday during a campaign rally in Erie, Pennsylvania, former President Biden accused him of being “asleep at the moment” while spending his weekend in Delaware. Trump also targeted Harris for attending a fundraiser in San Francisco on Saturday “with her radical left-wing crazy donors while large parts of our country were being devastated by this massive hurricane.”

At least 100 people have died and more than 2 million are without power in parts of western North Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Florida, South Carolina and Virginia.

Atlanta received a total of more than 11 inches of rain in 48 hours, breaking a record that had stood for nearly 150 years. Western North Carolina, particularly Asheville, suffered the brunt of the devastating rains, with some areas recording more than 30 inches.

Reach Joey Garrison on X, formerly Twitter, @joeygarrison.

Biden sees the damage caused by Hurricane Helene in North Carolina, while Trump reacts violently to it

ByVanessa

By Vanessa

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