WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden announced he will be visiting North Carolina this Wednesday to help the communities in the western region recover from severe flooding caused by Hurricane Helene. This visit comes as his Republican challenger, Donald Trump, questions the federal government’s response to the hurricane.

Biden shared his travel plans during a briefing at the Oval Office where he received updates on FEMA’s hurricane relief operations.

“I’m going to North Carolina on Wednesday. That’s the plan,” Biden mentioned. He will be arriving in Raleigh, where he will meet at the Emergency Operations Center, followed by an aerial inspection of affected areas.

Additionally, he mentioned he would be heading to Georgia and Florida “as soon as possible” to assess the damage there as well.

Earlier in the day, Biden indicated he wanted to ensure that his visit wouldn’t disrupt recovery activities before confirming his plans.

During the Oval Office briefing, Biden spoke with North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper and FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell, who appeared together on a video call. He expressed his sympathies “to all families who have lost loved ones or are still searching for them,” affirming that his administration is committed to “seeing through the recovery efforts.”

“This process will take a significant amount of time,” Biden stated. However, he noted that thanks to federal assistance, “220 roads have been reopened to ensure responders can reach those in need.”

Biden reported that “thousands of federal personnel are currently active in the communities,” aiding in search and rescue, debris cleanup, restoring power, and reestablishing cellular service.

Governor Cooper expressed gratitude for the federal support received. “This has been an extremely damaging storm, as you’re aware,” he remarked.

Vice President Kamala Harris, during a briefing at FEMA headquarters in Washington, also indicated her intention to be present for hurricane recovery efforts “as soon as possible,” emphasizing her desire not to hinder ongoing relief work.

Trump, the Republican presidential candidate, visited Valdosta, Georgia to support relief efforts, underscoring that he wasn’t there for political reasons. Nevertheless, at a campaign gathering in Erie, Pennsylvania, Trump accused Biden of “taking it easy” while spending the weekend in Delaware. He also criticized Harris for attending a fundraiser in San Francisco “with her extreme left-wing supporters while parts of our nation are suffering due to the hurricane.”

Currently, over 100 people have died, and more than 2 million are without electricity across regions in western North Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Florida, South Carolina, and Virginia.

Atlanta has seen over 11 inches of rain within 48 hours, breaking a record that had been in place for nearly 150 years. Western North Carolina, especially Asheville, endured the worst of the intense rainfall, with some areas recording over 30 inches.