Biden Reaffirms Commitment To Complete The Task: Federal Authorities Will Stay In Helene Until The Mission Is Accomplished.

President Joe Biden assured the residents of states affected by Hurricane Helene that federal agents will remain until the situation is resolved. During a press conference at the White House on September 30, he stated, “I have instructed my team to swiftly provide all available resources to your communities for rescue, recovery, and reconstruction.”

The assistance includes FEMA, the Federal Communications Commission, the National Guard, the Army Corps of Engineers, and the Department of Defense. These organizations are pooling their resources to rescue people, clear debris, and deliver essential supplies. The current deployment stands at over 3,600 personnel, with numbers continuing to increase. FEMA and the Small Business Administration are present to assist residents whose homes and businesses were severely damaged or completely destroyed. Meanwhile, federal search and rescue teams are working relentlessly alongside state and local partners to locate and account for all missing individuals.

FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell is stationed in Asheville, North Carolina, and will remain there until further notice. President Biden acknowledged his communication with officials from Georgia, North Carolina, Florida’s Big Bend region, South Carolina, and Tennessee. He expressed his commitment to visit the affected areas at the earliest convenience, but recognizes that doing so presently could hinder response efforts.

Hurricane Helene made landfall as a powerful Category 4 storm in Taylor County, Florida, on September 26. Its destructive impact included a record-breaking storm surge along Florida’s west coast, extreme rainfall in Georgia, and devastating flooding and landslides in western North Carolina and Appalachia. This hurricane caused damage in at least 10 states, resulting in over 100 fatalities and more than 600 individuals still unaccounted for. President Biden emphasized the unprecedented nature of Helene, stating, “It is not just catastrophic; it is a storm that will go down in history.”

Emergency declarations have been approved for Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and Alabama. Additionally, President Biden has endorsed requests for additional disaster declarations in Florida, North Carolina, and South Carolina. These requests aim to finance debris removal and offer direct financial aid to survivors. The president anticipates that supplemental funding approved by Congress will be necessary for FEMA’s operations, though the specific amount has yet to be determined. While he hasn’t made a decision regarding calling Congress back for a special session, he acknowledged the possibility of such a request in the future.