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President Biden introduced on Monday that he’ll go to North Carolina on Wednesday after Hurricane Helene ravaged the state.
The president’s announcement comes after critics slammed him for an absence of management after the monster storm’s devastating affect on the southeastern portion of the nation.
Greater than 120 folks have been killed by Helene since the hurricane made landfall in Florida late Thursday earlier than tearing a path of destruction by way of the inside Southeast.
The storm brought on hundreds of thousands of energy outages and billions in property harm because it smashed by way of the southern Appalachian Mountains and into the Tennessee Valley.
ASHEVILLE RESIDENTS BATTLING ‘APOCALYPTIC’ AFTERMATH OF HURRICANE HELENE AFTER DEADLY FLOODING, LANDSLIDES
Whereas days have handed because the storm struck the area, Biden has not visited the realm nor had plans to till now.
“On Wednesday, I am going to journey to North Carolina for a briefing on the State Emergency Operations Heart and to take part in an aerial tour of Asheville,” Biden stated in a submit on X. “I’ve ensured my journey is not going to disrupt the continued response. I plan to journey to Georgia and Florida as quickly as doable.”
However the president’s announcement was adopted by harsh criticism from the general public, with one particular person writing, “Joe Biden’s go to is simply too little, too late.”
One other particular person wrote, “Don’t come to Florida we acquired hit floor zero. The governor is protecting it,” referring to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Nonetheless, a number of folks wrote that Biden is just visiting as a result of former President Trump had already gone to areas broken by Helene.
BIDEN GETS DEFENSIVE WHEN PUSHED ON WHO’S ‘COMMANDING’ HURRICANE HELENE RESPONSE
President Biden speaks to the media earlier than boarding Air Pressure One at Dover Air Pressure Base in Delaware on Sept. 29, 2024. (REUTERS/Anna Rose Layden )
Trump stopped in Valdosta, Georgia, on Monday the place he was briefed on the devastation left by the storm, however he additionally assisted with aid distribution and delivered remarks.
“I’ve come to Valdosta with giant semitrucks, a lot of them crammed with aid support. A tanker truck stuffed up with gasoline, a few huge tanker vehicles stuffed up with gasoline, which they can not get now. And we’ll be working to distribute it all through the day,” Trump stated.
Fox Information Digital has reached out to the White Home for extra details about the president’s go to to North Carolina this week.
HARRIS-TRUMP SHOWDOWN: HURRICANE HELENE IN EYE OF THE CAMPAIGN STORM
A van drifts in floodwaters close to Biltmore Village within the aftermath of Hurricane Helene on Sept. 28, 2024, in Asheville, N.C. (Sean Rayford/Getty Photos)
Throughout a press convention in regards to the federal response to Hurricane Helene on Monday, Biden vowed to go to a number of the most devastated areas.
On the finish of the press convention, he acquired defensive when a reporter pressed him about who was in command over the weekend to direct hurricane response as he spent the weekend at his Delaware seashore residence.
The reporter yelled because the president walked out of the Roosevelt Room, “Mr. President, why weren’t you and Vice President Harris right here in Washington commanding this this weekend?”
BIDEN ADMIN’S FEMA ‘EQUITY’ PLAN FACES BACKLASH AMID HISTORIC HURRICANE DAMAGE: ‘WHAT AN EMBARRASSMENT’
Heavy rains from Hurricane Helene brought on file flooding and harm in Asheville, N.C. (Melissa Sue Gerrits/Getty Photos)
In response, Biden stated he was commanding it, explaining he was on the cellphone for “not less than two hours” on Sunday and the day earlier than.
North Carolina and Georgia had been among the many hardest-hit states. They’re additionally two of the seven key battleground states the place razor-thin margins determined Biden’s 2020 presidential election victory over Trump and are anticipated to find out the result of the 2024 showdown between Harris, the Democrat nominee, and Trump.
At first of his remarks throughout the press briefing earlier within the day, Biden assured that he and his workforce had been “in fixed contact with governors, mayors and native leaders” concerning Hurricane Helene.
The president famous that Federal Emergency Administration Company Administrator Deanne Criswell was on the bottom in North Carolina and would stay within the Asheville space.
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Biden additionally stated he directed the Federal Communications Fee to assist set up communications functionality and the Nationwide Guard, the Military Corps of Engineers and the Division of Protection “to offer all of the assets at its disposal to rescue and help in clearing particles and delivering lifesaving provides.”
Up to now, greater than 3,600 personnel have been accepted. Biden has additionally accepted requests from the governors of Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, Virginia and Alabama for an emergency declaration.
Fox Information Digital’s Paul Steinhauser and Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.
Greg Wehner is a breaking information reporter for Fox Information Digital.
Story suggestions and might be despatched to [email protected] and on Twitter @GregWehner.
Biden to go to North Carolina days after Helene’s path of destruction leaves many devastated
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