Area mayors Knox White from Greenville and Jerome Rice from Spartanburg joined North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper and U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas in a significant discussion recently.
During the meeting, President Biden listened carefully as South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster provided updates on the state’s response to a disaster. Senator Lindsey Graham appeared enthusiastic as he spoke to the president.
Biden and McMaster shared moments of agreement, with McMaster occasionally nodding along to Biden’s comments. At one point, the president playfully slapped McMaster on the shoulder, indicating a friendly rapport between them.
After about 17 minutes of talks, Biden boarded a helicopter to view the damage from the recent hurricane in northern Greenville County and areas near Asheville in North Carolina. Many roads in the hardest-hit regions remain blocked. From the helicopter, Biden observed flooded streets, heaps of debris, and emergency vehicles on the scene. In some places, homes were partially submerged, making it difficult to tell where the water ended and the land began.
This visit marked Biden’s first trip to South Carolina since January and came alongside his decision to send nearly 1,000 active-duty soldiers from the Department of Defense to assist in delivering essential supplies like food and water to affected areas.
The storm wreaked havoc on communities in Western North Carolina, especially around Asheville and several nearby mountain towns. Damage estimates across the Southeast are expected to reach billions of dollars, with at least 178 lives lost due to the hurricane.
