Biden and Harris Respond to Hurricane Helene's Destruction: A Call for Unity and Recovery Efforts

AFP | Asheville

The Daily Tribune - www.newsofbahrain.com

Email: anchalo@newsofbahrain.com

On Wednesday, President Joe Biden witnessed the devastating aftermath of Hurricane Helene firsthand, while Vice President Kamala Harris provided aid to families in need as part of an extensive disaster response. Thousands of federal responders joined forces to rescue residents and support millions affected by the disaster, which has claimed at least 162 lives across six states.

Biden arrived in South Carolina, where he received briefings on the massive rescue and recovery operations, involving over 10,000 federal officials, emergency responders, and National Guard personnel deployed throughout the southeastern U.S. Afterward, he surveyed the flood-ravaged city of Asheville, North Carolina, from a helicopter, where he observed significant destruction, including collapsed bridges, debris-filled lakes, demolished buildings, and washed-away roads.

“What I saw was heartbreaking,” Biden shared on X. “But back on the ground, we’re witnessing neighbors helping neighbors, volunteers and workers standing side-by-side, people leaning on each other. That’s America.”

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, accompanying the president, described Helene as a storm of "historic strength," responsible for catastrophic flooding in both urban areas and remote mountain communities. “We have towns that have disappeared,” he stated, adding that the recovery process would require billions of dollars and take multiple years.

In response to the disaster, Biden approved major disaster declarations for several states and announced the deployment of up to 1,000 active-duty soldiers to North Carolina to expedite the delivery of essential supplies, such as food, water, and medicine to isolated communities. During his briefing in the state, he emphasized the importance of bipartisan support in times of crisis. “In a moment like this, we put politics aside,” he remarked. “The nation has your back.”

Biden also highlighted the growing impact of climate change on extreme weather events. “Nobody can deny the impact of the climate crisis anymore; at least, I hope they don’t. They must be brain-dead if they do,” he asserted.

Meanwhile, Vice President Harris traveled separately to Georgia, another state severely affected by the storm. She visited an emergency operations center in Augusta before assessing the devastation in a local neighborhood, which she described as “extraordinary.”

As the nation grapples with the fallout from Hurricane Helene, leaders continue to call for unity and resilience in the face of adversity.