President Biden Visits North and South Carolina as Hurricane Helene Death Toll Rises

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President Joe Biden will travel to North and South Carolina today to assess the widespread devastation caused by Hurricane Helene, as the death toll climbs to 166 and hundreds remain missing. With more than 1 million people still without power across the Southeast, the President’s visit underscores the urgent need for recovery and relief efforts in the wake of one of the most catastrophic storms to hit the region in recent years.

The storm, which has left a trail of destruction across multiple states, has particularly impacted Buncombe County, home to Asheville, North Carolina, where hundreds of people are still unaccounted for. Additionally, 85 people remain missing in Tennessee as search and rescue operations continue.

Vice President Kamala Harris is also set to travel to Georgia to survey the damage, following former President Donald Trump’s visit to the state earlier this week. The Biden administration is coordinating a robust federal response, working closely with local and state authorities to accelerate recovery efforts.

Power Outages and Water Shortages

As of 7:30 AM ET, nearly 1.3 million people across the Southeast remain without power, according to poweroutage.us. Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina are among the hardest hit, with more than 373,000, 494,000, and 347,000 people respectively still in the dark. Additional outages continue in Florida, Virginia, and West Virginia, where tens of thousands remain affected.

The storm has also created severe water shortages in many regions. In Asheville, North Carolina, approximately 100,000 residents are without running water, leading to boil water advisories and forcing people to rely on natural water sources like creeks for basic needs. In Augusta, Georgia, residents have been without running water for three days and are under similar advisories.

FEMA has responded by delivering a cargo plane filled with emergency supplies, including food and water, to North Carolina on Tuesday, as authorities scramble to meet the basic needs of affected communities.

Federal Disaster Relief Efforts

President Biden, alongside key lawmakers, has urged Congress to allocate additional disaster relief funding to help communities recover from the storm. Though Congress is currently on recess, the President has expressed the need for swift action to ensure adequate resources for the long-term recovery process.

A stopgap funding measure passed earlier this month has provided FEMA with access to $20 billion in disaster relief funds. However, approximately $6 billion of that is already earmarked for previous disasters, such as the devastating wildfires in Hawaii and flooding in Vermont, raising concerns about the adequacy of current resources for Hurricane Helene recovery efforts.

House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana commented on the situation, stating, “Congress has previously provided the funds FEMA needs to respond, so we will make sure those resources are appropriately allocated.”

Looking Forward

As recovery efforts continue, President Biden’s visit to the storm-ravaged regions is a signal of the federal government’s commitment to supporting impacted states. The administration will continue to monitor the situation and provide additional resources as needed to aid in the recovery of affected communities.