The deadly storm ‘Helene’ becomes a political issue in the middle of the American election campaign.
Both Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and his Democratic opponent Kamala Harris took stock. Trump visited the hard-hit state of Georgia. The Democrat met with representatives of the American disaster protection organization Fema in the American capital Washington on Monday evening (local time).
Trump directly attacked Harris and the administration of US President Joe Biden. Biden is ‘sleeping’ and Harris ‘is campaigning somewhere and looking for money’.
Harris wants to travel to the affected region in Georgia on Wednesday. Biden plans to visit North Carolina and South Carolina on the same day. The American president also wants to get an idea of the extent of the damage from the air. The White House said he also wanted to travel to the affected states of Georgia and Florida “as soon as possible.”
‘Helene’ claimed at least 137 lives
According to American media, ‘Helene’ claimed at least 137 lives in six states in the southeast of the country. There were particularly high numbers of deaths in North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia. Georgia and North Carolina are among the so-called swing states in the American election campaign that are particularly hotly contested. In these states, the majority voted for one party and sometimes the other in previous elections. The swing states will be decisive in the presidential elections on November 5.
Many are still stuck in their homes
‘Helene’ left a path of destruction with floods and high winds. Hundreds of people were still missing on Tuesday. This is also because mobile phone reception has collapsed in the affected areas. More than a million people are still without electricity and countless roads are closed. Many people are still stuck in their homes without enough food. Some areas are so inaccessible that relief supplies have to be delivered by plane, CNN reports.
‘Helene’ made landfall on the Gulf Coast of northwest Florida on Thursday evening (local time) as a second-highest category hurricane with winds of up to 225 kilometers per hour. “Helene” later weakened to a tropical storm and moved further north over the Appalachians.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
