AFP – United States (US) President Joe Biden on Wednesday witnessed Hurricane Helene’s catastrophic destruction firsthand and Vice President Kamala Harris distributed aid to needy families, as thousands of federal responders joined all-out efforts to rescue residents and care for millions in the disaster.
Biden flew into the Carolinas and his deputy headed to Georgia after Harris’ election rival Donald Trump sought to turn their handling of the disaster – which has left at least 162 people dead in six states – into campaign fodder.
Biden arrived in South Carolina and was briefed on the sprawling rescue and recovery effort – an operation featuring more than 10,000 federal officials, emergency responders and National Guard across the US southeast.
He then flew by helicopter over the flood-hit city of Asheville, North Carolina, where destruction was visible from the air, including collapsed bridges, lakes filled with debris, buildings demolished and roads washed away.
“What I saw was heartbreaking,” Biden said on X.
“But back on the ground, we’re witnessing neighbours helping neighbours, volunteers and workers standing side-by-side, people leaning on each other. That’s America.”
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, travelling with the president, described Helene as a storm of “historic strength” that brought calamitous flooding to cities and remote mountain communities.
“We have towns that have disappeared, literally,” he said. “This is a multi-billion-dollar, multi-year recovery.”
Biden, who has approved major disaster declarations in several states, announced the deployment of up to 1,000 active-duty soldiers to North Carolina to help “speed up the delivery of life-saving supplies” including food, water and medicine to isolated communities.
While getting briefed in the state, he spoke of Washington’s obligation to provide help. “In a moment like this we put politics aside,” he said.
“The nation has your back.” But he also warned how climate change is increasing the severity and frequency of extreme weather events.
“Nobody can deny the impact of the climate crisis anymore, at least I hope they don’t,” Biden said. Harris, who replaced Biden as the Democratic presidential nominee for the November 5 election, flew separately to the state of Georgia, which has also been badly hit.
She visited an emergency operations centre in Augusta before surveying a neighbourhood that suffered what she called “extraordinary” devastation.
