Biden, 81, insists ‘I was commanding’ when asked why he wasn’t at the White House as Hurricane Helene wreaked havoc across the U.S.
President Joe Biden said he expects to visit areas devastated by Hurricane Helene this week, as he defended spending the weekend at his beach house when the storm hit.
“I have told the governor of North Carolina that I am going there and I expect to be there on Wednesday or Thursday if it is clear to me,” he told reporters at the White House.
“I am committed to traveling to the affected areas as quickly as possible, but I have been told it would be disruptive if I did so now,” he noted.
The president became defensive when asked how he remained in command while spending the weekend at his vacation home in Rehoboth Beach as the hurricane devastated parts of the South.
‘I was in charge, I was on the phone for at least two hours yesterday, and the day before yesterday too. I gave the order, it’s called a telephone,” he said.
‘I was in charge, I was on the phone for at least two hours yesterday, and the day before yesterday too. I gave the order, it’s called a telephone,” President Joe Biden said
He noted that he spoke with the governors of Georgia and North Carolina, two of the states hardest hit by the storm.
At least 121 deaths in six states have been blamed on the storm — a toll that rose Monday as a clearer picture emerged of the devastation it wrought in an area stretching from Florida’s Gulf Coast north to Virginia’s Appalachians.
More than 600 are missing.
“We’re not leaving until the job is done,” Biden said.
Roads and I-64, a major highway, have been washed out in parts of these areas, making it difficult to bring in necessary supplies. Local and federal officials, along with the National Guard, are rushing to bring help.
More than 460,000 people are without power and more than 1,000 had taken refuge in 24 shelters.
Search and rescue teams from 19 states and the U.S. government have converged on North Carolina, Gov. Roy Cooper said, adding that some roads could take months to repair.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump will go to Georgia on Monday to outline efforts to help hurricane victims.
Biden declined to comment on whether the former president would be disruptive.
“I have no idea,” he told reporters.
Flooding in Asheville, NC caused by Hurricane Helene
And Kamala Harris is canceling her planned campaign stops for Monday to return to Washington DC for briefings on Hurricane Helene.
According to her campaign, she will leave Las Vegas tomorrow morning and be in Washington for a briefing at FEMA on Monday afternoon. She will also visit devastated areas if this will not disrupt relief efforts.
Damage estimates ranged from $15 billion to more than $100 billion, insurers and forecasters said this weekend, as water systems, communications and critical transportation routes were hit.
Property damage and lost economic output will become more apparent as officials assess the destruction.
About 2.7 million customers in the South were without power Sunday, a U.S. Energy Department official said, a 40 percent drop from Friday after unprecedented storm surges, ferocious winds and dangerous conditions extended hundreds of miles inland.