ICYMI: Biden-Harris Administration Mobilizes Whole-of-Government Response to Hurricane Helene

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 4, 2024
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ICYMI: BIDEN-HARRIS ADMINISTRATION MOBILIZES WHOLE-OF-GOVERNMENT RESPONSE TO HURRICANE HELENE

President Biden and Vice President Harris are providing steady leadership through this crisis while coordinating with state and local governments to save lives and provide necessary relief to impacted communities

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Biden-Harris Administration has remained committed to ensuring that states and communities devastated by Hurricane Helene receive the full support and resources they need to save lives and rebuild. Even before making landfall on September 27, President Biden had pledged to offer assistance and relief, having made personal phone calls to the governors of all affected states – to assess their needs and expedite federal relief funds.

President Biden and Vice President Harris are leading a comprehensive federal effort to support recovery across the hardest-hit regions. Here are some of the key actions taken by the Biden-Harris Administration:

Deploying Support from the Department of Defense, National Guard and FEMA:

The Department of Defense is mobilizing 22 helicopters and high-water vehicles, along with search and rescue teams, to assist the 6,000+ National Guard troops across 12 states currently leading life-saving operations.
President Biden has directed the immediate deployment of 1,000 active-duty soldiers to aid in relief efforts, supporting the delivery of essential supplies like food and water.
- These forces, including infantry battalion task forces and logistical support teams from Fort Liberty, NC, will strengthen FEMA’s ability to reach affected areas quickly.
Over 4,800 federal personnel, including more than 1,200 in North Carolina alone, are providing critical support to state-led response efforts.
FEMA has distributed 8.5 million meals, over 7 million liters of water, and 220,000 tarps across impacted areas.

Restoring Power and Communications:

Power restoration efforts are making progress, with outages reduced by 65% since the peak. As of today, 1.6 million customers remain without power.
Temporary cell sites and satellite communications are being established to restore connectivity in impacted regions.

Ongoing Presidential and Vice-Presidential Engagement

The President is conducting an aerial tour of affected areas in North Carolina and South Carolina, meeting with first responders and local officials to assess recovery needs.
Vice President Harris is traveling to Georgia to receive briefings and meet with storm survivors, with plans to visit North Carolina next.

Continued Relief and Assistance from the Federal Government:

Following Major Disaster declarations in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina, the Department of Housing and Urban Development is offering mortgage relief, counseling, and financial aid for home repairs and rehabilitation.
FEMA has approved over $10 million in Individual Assistance to survivors across the impacted states, with additional aid expected.
FEMA Disaster Survivor Assistance teams are on the ground in Florida and North Carolina, going door-to-door to help residents register for disaster relief and access critical resources.
HHS has declared Public Health Emergencies in five states, ensuring providers can meet the needs of Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries.
Medical teams are providing care at hospitals and shelters in North Carolina, while Disaster Mortuary Teams are assisting with state mortuary services.

Bipartisan officials across the region have praised the swift response from the president and vice president in delivering relief to impacted communities. Georgia Governor Kemp told reporters that President Biden has been in direct contact and offered immediate assistance. Kemp expressed his appreciation for the president’s direct outreach and rapid mobilization of federal resources.

Similar praise has come from Governors Roy Cooper (D-NC), Henry McMaster (R-SC), and Glenn Youngkin (R-VA), who all highlighted the swift, cooperative response from federal agencies like FEMA, the Department of Transportation, the Department of Energy, and the Department of Defense. President Biden emphasized that his priority is ensuring that Americans in need are not misled about the government’s response.

As MAGA Republicans concentrate on partisan divides and disinformation, the Biden-Harris administration is laser-focused on bipartisan collaboration, ensuring that every community has the resources it needs to recover swiftly and rebuild stronger.

As President Biden said, “Until the work is done, we’re going to stay.”

To learn more about how President Biden and Vice President Harris are currently supporting the communities impacted by Hurricane Helene, see the White House’s most recent fact sheet here.

See notable coverage of the Biden-Harris Administration’s comprehensive federal response below:

NBC News: Biden to visit North Carolina to survey Hurricane Helene damage

Biden on Sunday called the storm damage “tragic” and said his administration was trying to determine the number of victims.

The White House said Sunday that Biden advised Deanne Criswell, administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, that “as soon as it will not disrupt emergency response operations, he intends to travel this week to impacted communities.”

Biden was briefed by Criswell and homeland security adviser Liz Sherwood-Randall on the hurricane’s impacts in the states that were significantly affected: Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama and Virginia. Biden approved emergency disaster declaration requests for most of those states ahead of the storm.

South Carolina Public Radio: Biden to visit Carolinas to survey Hurricane Helene damage, SC death toll climbs to 36

The White House said Biden will depart Joint Base Andrews and land at the Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport Wednesday afternoon, then take an aerial tour. He’ll later leave Greenville and head to the Raleigh-Durham International Airport. The White House said Biden will “engage” with first responders and state and local officials before heading to North Carolina.

South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster told reporters Tuesday that he plans on spending time in the Upstate Wednesday. The governor’s Wednesday schedule shows McMaster will brief Biden on the state’s recovery efforts, then later hold a media briefing with the state’s congressional delegation.

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“It’s been superb,” McMaster said of the assistance from the federal government. “I finally was able to speak to the president yesterday (Monday) afternoon after he missed me and I missed him. He left a voicemail, I left a voicemail. So we finally connected yesterday afternoon. He said that whatever we need to let him know. We’re doing that.”

McMaster said he’s also been in contact with governors, U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Deanne Criswell, the Federal Emergency Management Agency administrator.

“We’re getting assistance, and we’re asking for everything we need,” McMaster said.

USA Today: ‘Nation has your back,’ Biden says to Hurricane Helene victims.

President Joe Biden traveled to the Carolinas on a Wednesday tour to survey devastation from Hurricane Helene as residents across much of the Southeast press on with the arduous task of rebuilding their shattered communities, homes and lives.

Biden visited Greenville, South Carolina, and later got an aerial view of the extensive damage in Asheville, North Carolina. Vice President Kamala Harris also made a trip to a highly impacted state, meeting with local officials and first responders in Augusta, Georgia.

“I’m here to say the United States – the nation – has your back,” Biden said at an emergency command center in Raleigh alongside North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper. “We’re not leaving until you’re back on your feet completely.”

Earlier Wednesday, Biden had approved the deployment of up to 1,000 active-duty U.S. soldiers to reinforce North Carolina National Guard members assisting recovery efforts in the state.

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