WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� Hurricane Helene鈥檚 deadly devastation has scrambled the presidential candidates鈥� campaign plans, with Kamala Harris returning early from a campaign visit to Las Vegas to attend briefings and Donald Trump heading to Georgia to see the storm's impact.
is close to 100 people and rising, with some of the worst damage caused by inland flooding in North Carolina.
In addition to being humanitarian crises, natural disasters can create political tests for elected officials, particularly in the closing weeks of a presidential campaign.
At the beginning of on Sunday, Harris said 鈥渨e will stand with these communities for as long as it takes to make sure that they are able to recover and rebuild.鈥�
President Joe Biden was scheduled to speak about his administration's response to Hurricane Helene on Monday morning. He plans to visit areas affected by the storm later this week, with efforts to not disrupt response efforts.
Trump, , on Sunday, described the storm as 鈥渁 big monster hurricane鈥� that had 鈥渉it a lot harder than anyone even thought possible.鈥�
He criticized Harris for attending weekend 鈥渇undraising events with her radical left lunatic donors鈥� in California while the storm hit.
鈥淪he ought to be down in the area where she should be,鈥� Trump said.
The White House said Harris would visit impacted areas 鈥渁s soon as it is possible without disrupting emergency response operations.鈥� She also spoke with Gov. Roy Cooper of North Carolina, and she received a briefing from Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Deanne Criswell while she was traveling.
Chris Megerian, The Associated Press
