WASHINGTON (AP) —A crisis unfolded in Asheville, North Carolina, as officials pledged to get more water, food and other supplies to flood-stricken areas without power and cellular service Monday, days after Hurricane Helene ripped across the U.S. Southeast. The death toll from the storm surpassed 100. Georgia Governor Brian Kemp said during a news conference Monday that the death toll in that state had risen from 17 to 25.
A North Carolina county that includes the mountain city of Asheville reported 30 people killed there.
Speaking from the White House, Biden said he intends to travel to North Carolina to survey storm damage by Wednesday or Thursday, once his presence would not divert first responders from live-saving search-and-rescue and disaster response missions.
“We will not do that at the risk of diverting or delaying any of the response assets needed to deal with this crisis,” he said. He declined to address former President Donald Trump’s planned visit to Georgia on Monday.
Biden said he expects to have to ask Congress for additional money to cover federal disaster assistance to those who lost their homes and businesses by the “historic” wind, rain and flooding event, but he doesn’t yet know how much will be necessary to cover the damage.
“We know there’s more to do and we’ll continue to surge resources including food, water, communications, and lifesaving equipment,” Biden said. “I’m here to tell every single survivor in these impacted areas that we will be there with you as long as it takes.”
Biden defended his decision to spend the weekend at his Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, vacation home, rather than at the White House to monitor the storm, telling reporters,
“I was commanding. I was on the phone,” he said