As announced a few days ago, US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris visited, on Wednesday, October 2, several states on the Atlantic coast hit by Hurricane Helene, which left at least 162 dead, according to a report. provisional balance, and caused considerable damage due to sudden and devastating floods.
Arriving in South Carolina in the early afternoon, Joe Biden then headed to the neighboring state of North Carolina, the most affected state with more than 70 deaths. The president then flew by helicopter over Asheville, a city of almost 100,000 people located in the Appalachian Mountains, where impressive damage is visible everywhere after the hurricane. The floods washed away bridges, filled lakes with debris, while buildings were destroyed and roads washed away.
“What I saw there broke my heart.”declared Joe Biden on the social network “But on the ground we saw neighbors helping neighbors, volunteers and staff side by side, and people leaning on each other. “This is the United States.”he added.
Reconstruction will require “billions of dollars and years”warned the Minister of Internal Security, Alejandro Mayorkas, aboard the presidential plane. “There are towns that have literally disappeared”he stressed.
Residents isolated from the world
Joe Biden announced that he would mobilize a thousand additional soldiers for relief operations in North Carolina, reinforcements that add to the thousands of first responders and members of the National Guard, a reserve force, already working intensively on the ground. In southern Appalachia, residents found themselves cut off from the world.
The White House announced that the president will visit Florida and Georgia on Thursday, states also affected by the hurricane. Some of these catastrophic states are decisive for the presidential elections on November 5.
One month before elections that promise to be very close, Donald Trump immediately addressed the issue. The former president visited Valdosta, a Georgia city affected by the disaster, on Monday. “The federal State does not respond”said the Republican candidate, in front of a partially destroyed building. He previously accused the federal government and North Carolina Democratic officials of “Deliberately not helping people in republican areas”.
“He is lying.”a virulent Joe Biden was outraged the same day, denouncing comments “irresponsible”. The president downplayed Republican criticism of his handling of the crisis, saying he had worked tirelessly, even as he spent the weekend at his beach house in Delaware.
Joe Biden claims to have waited until Wednesday to go to the scene so as not to disrupt the already difficult relief operations. “In times like this, we put political politics aside”he said in North Carolina on Wednesday.
Meal distribution by Kamala Harris
For her part, Kamala Harris traveled to Georgia. “I am here to thank you and listen to you”the vice president declared during a visit to the emergency operations center in Augusta. The Democratic presidential candidate congratulated the emergency services for their actions to “meet the needs of residents”.
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He also welcomed the solidarity shown during this ordeal. “People who help complete strangers”he said, adding that this shows that “The vast majority of us have much more in common than we have differences.”phrase that he frequently uses during his electoral campaign.
Visiting a shelter, Mme Harris also handed out meals to families affected by the hurricane and received a standing ovation as he left. Brittany Smith, an Augusta resident whose roof was punctured by the storm, said the vice president’s visit gave her courage. “He is a person. She is not just a voice.” on television, he said.
The storm’s impact on the Nov. 5 presidential election remains difficult to assess. According to a survey conducted by Quinnipiac University between September 25 and 29, that is, a little before and during Hurricane Helen, Donald Trump leads Kamala Harris in Georgia (50% of voting intentions against 44%). He would also have predominance, although less clear, over the Democrat in North Carolina (49% against 47%).
