Kamala Harris heads to storm-ravaged Georgia to help direct recovery effort from Hurricane Helene

Vice President Kamala Harris plans to head to storm-ravaged Georgia connected Wednesday to assistance nonstop the national betterment effort aft Hurricane Helene ripped done respective states successful the southeast.

As the deadly tempest threatens to shingle up the statesmanlike race conscionable 5 weeks earlier Election Day, Harris plans to survey devastation and conscionable with officials successful the Peach State earlier journeying to North Carolina successful the coming days, according to aides who spoke connected the information of anonymity to sermon the question plans.

The Democratic statesmanlike nominee has been moving to coordinate her plans to showcase her engagement successful the alleviation effort without negatively impacting section catastrophe effect efforts.

After Georgia, Harris plans to proceed with scheduled run visits to Wisconsin and Michigan aboriginal this week, with the North Carolina travel coming sometime aft that.

Vice President Kamala Harris speaks alongside Erik Hooks, FEMA Deputy Administrator, earlier attending a briefing astir the impacts of Hurricane Helene and updates connected the national response, astatine Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) office successful Washington, DC, connected September 30, 2024. (BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)

President Biden volition sojourn North Carolina connected Wednesday, checking retired the worst harm successful the Asheville country by helicopter to debar tying up section resources.

Former President Trump, who is locked successful a neck-and-neck contention with Harris, visited Georgia connected Monday, wherever helium dispersed falsehoods astir the national effect to the tempest contempt claiming not to beryllium politicizing the disaster.

Harris had been scheduled to articulation her moving mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz connected a autobus circuit crossed Pennsylvania connected Wednesday, connected the time aft he faces disconnected with Republican JD Vance successful Tuesday night’s vice statesmanlike debate.

Walz volition alternatively beryllium joined by Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman.

A antheral takes a interruption connected apical of what remains of a histrion that destroyed his SUV erstwhile it fell during Hurricane Helene connected successful Augusta, Ga., Tuesday. (Jeffrey Collins/AP)

With Helene’s decease toll nearing 150, searchers fanned retired crossed the region, utilizing helicopters to get past washed-out bridges and hiking done wilderness to scope isolated homes.

Many who lived done what was 1 of the deadliest storms successful U.S. past were near without energy oregon immoderate mode to scope retired for help. Some cooked nutrient connected charcoal grills oregon hiked to precocious crushed successful the hopes of uncovering a awesome to telephone loved ones.

The devastation was particularly atrocious successful the Blue Ridge Mountains, wherever astatine slightest 50 radical died successful and astir Asheville, a tourism haven known for its creation galleries, breweries and outdoor activities.

Members of the Hoover Fire Department thrust past tempest harm on Craig Creek successful the aftermath of Hurricane Helene connected Monday adjacent Black Mountain, N.C. (Sean Rayford/Getty Images)

Helene blew ashore successful Florida precocious Thursday arsenic a Category 4 hurricane and tore a way of devastation done Georgia, the Carolinas and Tennessee. Officials warned that rebuilding would beryllium agelong and difficult.

The upwind catastrophe has imaginable to play an undetermined relation successful American statesmanlike politics, wherever voters whitethorn beryllium watching Biden and Harris to measure their enactment of the catastrophe effort.