Vice President Kamala Harris will cut short her West Coast campaign swing to travel to Washington, DC, on Monday morning for a briefing on the ongoing impacts of Hurricane Helene at FEMA Headquarters, as confirmed by a White House official.
The briefing will focus on the federal response efforts to support emergency response and recovery in the wake of Hurricane Helene, which struck the Southeast region last Thursday, causing widespread devastation. The storm made landfall as the strongest hurricane on record to hit Florida’s Big Bend area, resulting in at least 95 fatalities and leaving millions without power.
Originally scheduled to make campaign stops in Nevada on Monday, Harris altered her plans to prioritize the briefing. Former President Donald Trump criticized Harris for fundraising on the West Coast following the hurricane's destruction in the Southeast.
During a rally in Las Vegas, Harris expressed solidarity with the affected communities, stating, “We stand with these communities for as long as it takes to ensure they can recover and rebuild.”
While en route from California to Nevada on Air Force Two, Harris received a briefing from FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell. She also communicated with North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, and Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, assuring them of the Biden administration's commitment to supporting the impacted areas throughout the recovery process.
Harris aims to visit the affected communities promptly, while ensuring that her presence does not disrupt ongoing emergency response operations. She emphasized, “We will provide whatever help they need in the days and weeks ahead” during her remarks in Las Vegas.
Meanwhile, Trump is scheduled to visit Valdosta, Georgia, on Monday to receive a briefing on the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene and to assist in the distribution of relief supplies to the affected areas.
