President Joe Biden was in Raleigh on Wednesday, Oct. 2 to speak on the disastrous damage western North Carolina has faced in the wake of Hurricane Helene.
Biden flew over Asheville, NC by helicopter as part of a tour to survey Helene's path of destruction. The president is scheduled to visit parts of Florida and Georgia today.
After surveying the damage, Biden was joined by North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper and Director of North Carolina Emergency Management (NCEM) William Ray in Raleigh.
Cooper started the evening briefing by calling the damage "catastrophic and unprecedented" and acknowledged the region has a long road to recovery.
He discussed the various relief and rescue efforts deployed to western North Carolina, including 92 search and rescue teams in the area.
Then it was the president's turn to speak.
"The nation has your back," declared Biden. "We're not leaving until you're back on your feet completely."