CHARLOTTE, N.C. — President Joe Biden is scheduled to take an aerial tour over the Asheville, North Carolina, area on Wednesday to survey the destruction caused by Hurricane Helene.
Biden isn't expected to be on the ground, with the White House saying they don't want his presence to interfere with search-and-rescue operations in Buncombe County. Helene has been blamed for at least 166 deaths in the Southeast, including 49 people confirmed dead in North Carolina.
Former President Donald Trump made a stop in Valdosta, Georgia, earlier this week to survey damage. During his visit, Trump spread several falsehoods about the federal response to Helene, claiming Biden was "sleeping" and not responding to Georgia's requests for help. The White House pushed back against those claims, noting that Gov. Brian Kemp himself said he'd spoken to Biden about the state's needs following the storm.
Trump also claimed that the federal government and North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper were "going out of their way to not help people in Republican areas." Asheville, which was decimated by Helene, is solidly Democratic, as is much of Buncombe County.
Many people are wondering if Trump is scheduled to survey damage in North Carolina. As of Wednesday morning, Trump is scheduled to appear in North Carolina according to his campaign website, but it's for a town hall in Fayetteville. Trump's town hall is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 4. It's unclear if he will also visit areas in western North Carolina impacted by Helene.
More than 150,000 households have registered for assistance with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and that number is expected to rise rapidly in the coming days, said Frank Matranga, an agency representative.
Nearly 2 million ready-to-eat meals and more than a million liters of water have been sent to the hardest-hit areas, he said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.