Biden to Visit Storm-Ravaged North Carolina on Wednesday – Reuters

By Jeff Mason

WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden announced plans to travel to North Carolina on Wednesday to assess the damage caused by Hurricane Helene.

Residents in western North Carolina faced a "post-apocalyptic" environment following the storm, with hundreds of people still unaccounted for, and many struggling amid flooded roads and a lack of essential services.

Biden indicated he would travel to North Carolina after a briefing with Governor Roy Cooper and FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell. He plans to participate in a briefing on the ground and conduct an aerial tour of Asheville. Additionally, he expressed intentions to visit Georgia and Florida at the earliest opportunity.

On Monday, Biden accused Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump of dishonesty for claiming that Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, also a Republican, had difficulties reaching the White House after the storm. "That’s simply not true, and it’s irresponsible,” Biden stated.

Both Kemp and Biden confirmed they had a conversation on Sunday. A spokesperson for Trump did not respond to requests for comment.

Officials have reported over 100 fatalities across several states due to the hurricane, which was classified as a major storm when it struck Florida’s Big Bend region late Thursday before moving destructively through Georgia and into the Carolinas. The death toll is expected to rise, but there remains hope that emergency responders will successfully locate the missing as they access more areas and restore mobile telecommunications services.