Biden Landing in Raleigh to Avoid Complicating Recovery Efforts in Asheville

President Joe Biden will survey Western North Carolina today before landing at Raleigh-Durham International Airport at approximately 3:45.  He will receive an Operational Briefing at the Raleigh Emergency Operations Center at 4:15 and remain in North Carolina until almost 7:00pm.

Per the New York Times, President Biden will get an aerial view of the destruction wrought by Hurricane Helene across the mountains of western North Carolina, where many residents are isolated by muddy debris and washed-out roads.

Six days after Helene made landfall on Florida’s Gulf Coast, the extent of the damage across the Southeast is still coming to light. Broken water systems, downed power lines and poor cellphone service are complicating rescue and recovery efforts.

“There’s so much, so much, that has to be done, beyond what we’re even thinking about now,” Mr. Biden said in a call this week to the mayor of Asheville, N.C. She shared a portion of the call on social media ahead of the president’s trip.

Mr. Biden plans to visit the emergency operations center in Raleigh, the state’s capital, and fly over the damaged region to avoid disrupting emergency efforts. He will also meet with emergency workers in South Carolina, and said he planned visits to other states, as well.

As of noon Wednesday, the death toll from Helene in North Carolina had risen to 90 people, a number expected to still climb.

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