US President Joe Biden and his Vice President Kamala Harris visited several states on the Atlantic coast today USA, devastated by hurricane “Helen“ - a disaster that Donald Trump also used in his election campaign, reported France Press, quoted by BTA.
Biden arrived in South Carolina in the early afternoon (Eastern time - note) and then headed to the neighboring state of North Carolina, which was the hardest hit with more than 70 deaths. The hurricane “Helen“ It killed at least 162 people, according to preliminary death tolls, and caused extensive damage in flash and devastating floods.
The president then flew a helicopter over Asheville, a town of nearly 100,000 in the Appalachian Mountains, where the damage from the hurricane was breathtaking. Floods have washed away bridges and filled lakes with debris, buildings have been destroyed and roads impassable.
„What I saw there broke my heart”, said Joe Biden on the social network "X".
"On the ground, however, we saw people helping their neighbors, volunteers and staff standing side by side, and people relying on each other. This is America”, he added.
Recovery will take “billions of dollars and many years”, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas warned aboard the presidential plane. “There are settlements that have literally been wiped out,”, he added.
The White House said the president will travel tomorrow to Florida and Georgia, two states also affected by the hurricane. Some of these disaster-hit states are crucial to the November 5 presidential election, AFP said.
„I'm here to thank you and listen to you,” Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris said during a visit to the emergency operations center in Augusta, Georgia.
Harris praised emergency services for their efforts to “meet the needs of the people”.
Visiting a temporary accommodation center, the vice president also distributed food to families affected by the hurricane and received a standing ovation as she left.
Biden announced that he is mobilizing 1,000 more troops for rescue operations in North Carolina, in addition to the thousands of first responders and National Guard members already on the ground.