Harris cuts campaign trip short for Hurricane Helene briefings

Source: Reuters

September 30, 2024 1:36 AM EDT Updated 8 hours ago


LAS VEGAS, Sept 29 (Reuters) - Vice President Kamala Harris will take part on Monday in briefings on the federal response to Hurricane Helene, cutting short a campaign trip as she plans a visit to the storm-ravaged southeastern United States.

Harris is flying back to Washington earlier than planned from Las Vegas, Nevada, where she was on a presidential campaign trip, to take part in briefings at the headquarters of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The change in plans comes after Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump was critical of the Democrat for not being more involved in the disaster response and is making his own visit to the region.

Winds, rain and storm surge from the storm killed at least 90 people in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee and Virginia, while millions more faced power outages and destroyed roads.

Harris was briefed on Sunday on the federal storm response as she traveled aboard Air Force Two to campaign stops in the Western United States, where she was raising money in California and rallying voters in the competitive Nov. 5 election state of Nevada. She also spoke with North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper and reached out to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Georgia Governor Brian Kemp to discuss their needs, according to the official who declined to be identified.

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/harris-cuts-campaign-trip-short-hurricane-helene-briefings-2024-09-30/