Massive cleanup, recovery efforts underway after Helene as President Biden tours area

President Joe Biden flew over toppled trees, twisted metal and towering piles of debris in the normally tourist friendly downtown of Asheville, North Carolina, on Wednesday, as he took a tour by helicopter of Hurricane Helene 's path of destruction. At the same time, Vice President Kamala Harris was getting her own look at the storm's damage in Georgia.

Many highways in the hardest-hit parts of North Carolina remained inaccessible, but from his Marine One helicopter, Biden saw flooded roads, piles of shredded lumber and displaced sandbags, emergency trucks and downed powerlines. In one area, homes were partly under water, and it was hard to distinguish between lake and land. Nearly 200 miles to the south, Harris was in Augusta, where she sat for a briefing and thanked assembled officials for helping “meet the needs of people who must be seen and must be heard.”

“I am now listening,” Harris said.

The role was familiar for Biden, who has frequently been called on to survey damage and console victims after tornadoes, wildfires, tropical storms and other natural disasters. But it's less so for Harris until now, as she vies to succeed him as president. Both are also seeking to demonstrate a larger commitment and competence in helping devastated communities after Donald Trump’s false claims about their administration’s response.

Before leaving for the helicopter tour, Biden wore a vest and boots and hugged and grabbed the hand of Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer who was at the airport in Greenville, South Carolina, to meet him. The White House announced during his flight that he’d also be visiting storm damaged parts of Florida and Georgia on Thursday.

Manheimer noted that they could not close down the area’s one operable road for Biden’s motorcade. The White House said Harris had also spoken to the mayor and was planning her own trip to North Carolina in coming days.

Before leaving Washington, Biden made a point of mentioning how an ongoing dockworkers strike could make getting supplies to hard-hit areas more difficult.

[TomZart]

HELEVE'S DEATH TOLL & MORE - 2024 ??
You never said I’m leaving
You never said goodbye.
You were gone before I knew it
And by storm I know why.

In life I loved you completely
In death I love you still.
I hold a place in my heart
That only you can fill.

It broke my heart to lose you
But I know you’re not alone.
A part of me left with you
As the seeds of aftermath were sown.

Lifestyles will forever change
For all who survive Helene’s horror.
When it has ended, as it began
With tears, death and more.

By Tom Zart!