President Joe Biden called Hurricane Helene “a storm of historic proportions” after taking to the skies on Wednesday to survey the damage in the Carolinas. “The nation’s got your back. We’re not leaving until you’re right again,” Biden said in an operational briefing after his air tour. Vice President Kamala Harris took a break from campaigning and called for unity during a separate stop in She thanked first responders, met survivors and gave supplies “The strength we have is that we help each other in times of need,” Harris said. As of Wednesday evening, at least 189 people have died. The search and rescue mission continues. Residents in some places are still without critical services. FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell said the mountainous terrain in some of the affected areas presents challenges. “When we look at the infrastructure damage to the water, to the cell lines, to the power, the ability to turn it back on is going to be complicated just by the way Appalachia is configured,” Criswell told CNN on Wednesday. The response was further complicated by the collapse of several major highways, including Interstate 40 near Asheville. “There’s no question in my mind that the damage to transportation assets will be in the billions, and that means we need help from Congress to fund it,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in an interview. In some cases, supplies have been delivered via helicopter to places where road access is not possible. Buttigieg said a 24-hour hotline is now available to help get first responders to safety on aid missions. It could be months, and in some cases, I’m afraid it will be years before things really get back to normal,” Buttigieg said. Meanwhile, President Biden directed the deployment of up to 1,000 active duty soldiers to support the recovery. The Biden-Harris administration has approved a major disaster declaration for several states across the Southeast, allowing survivors to access federal funding for recovery. FEMA says you can apply online by visiting disasterassistance.gov, calling 1-800-621-3362 or using FEMA. App. Teams are also in the affected areas, registering people personally President Biden will also visit Florida and Georgia, according to the White House is expected to go to North Carolina in the coming days.
President Joe Biden called Hurricane Helene “a storm of historic proportions” after taking to the skies on Wednesday to survey the damage in the Carolinas.
“The nation has your back. We’re not leaving until you’re right again,” Biden said in an operational briefing after his air tour.
Vice President Kamala Harris took a break from campaigning and called for unity during a divisive stop in Georgia. He thanked first responders, met with survivors and handed out supplies.
“The strength of who we are is that we help each other in times of need,” Harris said.
As of Wednesday evening, at least 189 people have died. The search and rescue mission continues. Residents in some places are still without critical services.
FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell said the mountainous terrain in some of the affected areas presents challenges.
“When we look at the infrastructure damage to the water, to the cell lines, to the power, the ability to turn it back on is going to be complicated just by the way Appalachia is configured,” Criswell told CNN on Wednesday.
The response was further complicated by the collapse of several major highways, including Interstate 40 near Asheville.
“There’s no question in my mind that the damage to transportation assets will be in the billions, and that means we need help from Congress to fund it,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in an interview.
In some cases, supplies have been delivered via helicopter to places where road access is not possible. Buttigieg said a 24-hour hotline is now available to help get first responders to safety for relief missions.
“I think you will see some here, either reroutes or temporary repairs to safely move vehicles, knowing that it could be months, and in some cases, I’m afraid it will be years before things really go back to normal, Buttigieg said.
Meanwhile, President Biden directed the deployment of up to 1,000 active duty soldiers to support the recovery.
“It will speed up the delivery of life-saving supplies like food, water and medicine to isolated communities,” Biden said.
The Biden-Harris administration has approved major disaster declarations for several states in the Southeast, allowing survivors to access federal funds for recovery.
FEMA says you can apply online by visiting disasterassistance.govcall 1-800-621-3362 or use FEMA application. Teams are also on the ground in affected areas, registering people in person.
President Biden will also visit Florida and Georgia tomorrow, according to the White House. Harris is expected to leave for North Carolina in the coming days.
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