Joe.My.God. LGBT News
Via press release from the White House:
President Biden and Vice President Harris continue to mobilize an intensive Federal response to the impacts of Hurricane Helene. The Administration is prioritizing life-saving and life-sustaining response efforts in impacted communities, as well as ensuring people displaced from the storm have prompt access to Federal resources that will enable them to both purchase essential items and begin their road to recovery and rebuilding.
As part of this coordinated response, today, President Biden is announcing he has directed the Department of Defense to deploy up to 1,000 active-duty soldiers to support the delivery of food, water, and other critical commodities to communities impacted by Hurricane Helene.
The announcement is effective immediately, and these forces will be available for deployment starting today. This action will provide additional manpower and logistics capabilities, enabling FEMA and other interagency partners to reach the hardest hit areas as quickly as possible.
This comes as the President is traveling to North Carolina and South Carolina. He will take an aerial tour of areas impacted by Hurricane Helene in Western North Carolina, receive operational briefings, and meet with first responders and local officials.
He will also engage with first responders and officials in South Carolina. The President will also visit Florida and Georgia in the coming days. The Vice President will travel to Georgia today.
She will receive operational briefings, meet with residents impacted by the storm, and provide updates to local officials on actions that are being taken to support emergency response and recovery efforts in Georgia. She will also travel to North Carolina in the coming days.
These soldiers are in addition to the support the Department of Defense is already providing to FEMA for the response to Hurricane Helene including:
– US Army and US Navy helicopters, soldiers, and sailors to provide critical capability to move personnel and supplies in areas where access via roads is not available or viable.
– US Air Force aircraft, helicopters, and airmen to provide search-and-rescue capabilities.
– US Army soldiers and high wheeled vehicles to move personnel and supplies over roads and terrain damaged or impassable to normal vehicles.
– The Army Corps of Engineers is supporting with response efforts with Temporary Power Teams and subject matter experts to support for debris removal, water and wastewater management, and bridge inspections.
Read the full press release.
In case you’re wondering about the extent of federal & military response to Helene, this fact sheet is a helpful overview. A lot of people trying to score political points on here as if this stuff isn’t happening: https://t.co/6exEl7bo0C
— Rory Tyer (@RoryTyer) October 2, 2024