President Joe Biden traveled to Florida and Georgia on Thursday to receive updates from state and local officials and survey damage from Hurricane Helene.

The trip comes one week to the day since the powerful storm made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend region as a Category 4 hurricane before sweeping through multiple states in the Southeast. 

What You Need To Know

  • President Joe Biden traveled to Florida and Georgia on Thursday to receive updates from state and local officials and survey damage from Hurricane Helene

  • Biden, the White House says, has reached out to more than 200 officials in Florida since the storm made landfall and has pledged that the federal government will cover the cost of debris removal and emergency protective measures in the state for 90 days; In Georgia, the federal government will pay for such response efforts for the first three months of the process, according to the White House
  • As of Thursday morning, the death toll from Hurricane Helene surpassed 180 with hundreds more still missing; Many in impacted states still lack power, running water and cellphone service
  • Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters enroute to Tallahassee on Thursday that neither Florida nor Georgia’s GOP governors will meet with Biden during his stops in their states on Thursday

Biden on Thursday first landed in Tallahassee before embarking on a 45-minute aerial tour of storm-ravaged areas via helicopter that ended in Perry. Then traveling to the Keaton Beach area, the president was joined by local officials and Florida GOP Sen. Rick Scott for an on-the-ground tour and briefing that included a conversation with a couple that lost their home in the hurricane and are living out of an RV.  

“We were just down in Florida seeing homes that were, I mean, just wiped away,” Biden later recalled about his time in the Sunshine State on Thursday. “They lost everything, including, including loved ones.” 

The president headed to Valdosta, Ga. next, where he visited a Pecan Farm damaged in the storm, joined by local officials and Georgia Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock. 

“I came here to Georgia to meet all of you, to see firsthand how you’re doing as well, because we are really in this together,” Biden said during remarks on the farm. 

He noted that those in the Southeast had “been through hell.”

“I want you to know: I see you, I hear you, I grieve with you and I promise you, we have your back,” he said. 

The Biden administration has sought to tout its response to the storm, with the president this week telling reporters his “top priority” was ensuring impacted communities get the support they need as quickly as possible.  

Biden on Thursday reiterated his call to keep politics out of disaster recovery, saying “there is no rationale for it.”

“Our job is to help as many people as we can, as many as we can,” Biden said on Thursday. “And also, by the way, when you do that, I hope we begin to break down this rabid partisanship that exists.” 

Former President Donald Trump on Monday criticized the Biden administration’s response to the crisis, including alleging that Georgia Republican Gov. Brian Kemp had a hard time getting Biden on the phone despite the governor saying himself that he had spoken to the president. 

Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters enroute to Tallahassee that neither Kemp nor Florida’s GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis would be joining the president during his stops in their states on Thursday. 

The president did speak with Kemp over the phone on Thursday, however. 

Biden and DeSantis famously toured the damage from Hurricane Ian together in 2022 but the governor notably did not join the president in his state following Hurricane Idalia last year and suggested his presence could hurt local response efforts. 

The White House says Biden has reached out to more than 200 officials in Florida since the storm made landfall and has pledged that the federal government will cover the cost of debris removal and emergency protective measures in the state for 90 days. In Georgia, the federal government will pay for such response efforts for the first three months of the process, according to the White House. 

The president’s approval of a major disaster declaration in Florida means people in 17 counties in the state can apply for assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) online at DisasterAssistance.gov. In Georgia, the same is true for residents in 41 counties. 

The Florida counties of Pinellas, Taylor, Manatee, Sarasota and Hillsborough will house disaster recovery centers, and the White House notes that The Salvation Army has 29 active feeding units on the ground in nine counties distributing food and supplies. In Georgia, the Salvation Army has 26 units in 10 counties. 

Biden’s visit comes one day after his stop in North Carolina, where he took part in an aerial tour of the storm-stricken western part of the state and declared to residents that the “nation has your back.” He announced he was deploying 1,000 active-duty troops to aid in recovery efforts in the state. He also visited South Carolina.

As of Thursday morning, the death toll from Hurricane Helene surpassed 180 with hundreds more still missing. Many in impacted states still lack power, running water and cellphone service. 

More than 4,800 federal personnel have been dispatched to assist with efforts on the ground across impacted states, according to the White House. Biden on Thursday also noted that the Department of Agriculture is on the ground supporting farmers, ranchers and small businesses. The president was joined on his trip on Thursday by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. 

FEMA has also shipped over 8.5 million meals, 7 million liters of water, 150 generators and over 220,000 tarps to local communities, the White House says.