President Joe Biden was in Georgia on Thursday to see the destruction from Hurricane Helene in that state after visiting Florida.
“You have been through hell,” Biden said in Georgia. “Our job is to help as many people as we can.”
Earlier Thursday, the president’s helicopter flew over areas of Florida, which Helene had hit hard before landing in the town of Perry.
Biden then took a walking tour of Keaton Beach, where he talked with residents, including a couple who lost their home in the hurricane, as well as officials.
A day earlier, Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris traveled to other areas in the U.S. Southeast to survey the devastation.
Biden went to North Carolina and South Carolina, while Harris went to Augusta, Georgia.
“It is going to cost billions of dollars to deal with this storm and all the communities affected,” the president said after a helicopter survey over parts of North Carolina. “You can see homes that have moved clearly from one side of the river down the river to another side.”
Biden has authorized the deployment of 1,000 active-duty U.S. troops to assist in the response and recovery efforts in the communities hit by Hurricane Helene.
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp announced that 33 people had been killed in Georgia.
Helene’s death toll continues to climb. At least 200 people have been killed as of Thursday, making Helene the deadliest mainland U.S. hurricane since Katrina in 2005.
Many of the survivors of Helene are still in disbelief about the force that uprooted trees, homes, and lives.
Helene crashed ashore late last Thursday in Florida and then began its path of destruction across North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, and Virginia.
