Vice President Kamala Harris is heading to North Carolina to survey the damage caused by Hurricane Helene, which has killed over 200 people and left thousands without power or water. This visit comes just one month before the 2024 presidential election, in which she is in a tight race against former President Donald Trump. The effectiveness of the Biden administration’s response efforts in North Carolina could impact the election. President Biden has called on Congress to replenish disaster relief programs and provide additional resources to FEMA. Hurricane Helene is now the fourth deadliest landfalling hurricane in the mainland U.S. since 1950. Donald Trump is holding a campaign rally in Pennsylvania and has been using the response to Hurricane Helene as a focus of his campaign, making false claims about federal disaster funds. Kamala Harris has promised long-lasting federal support for the areas affected by the hurricane, and the Biden administration has approved requests from multiple states for assistance with recovery efforts. Disaster politics play a role in presidential elections, with both candidates using the response to Hurricane Helene as a point of contention in the campaign.
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