**President Biden Surveys Hurricane Helene Devastation in Southeastern States**

President Joe Biden is visiting Florida and Georgia on Thursday to assess the extensive damage inflicted by Hurricane Helene. This marks his second day in a row inspecting the aftermath of the hurricane in the Southeastern United States. On Wednesday, Biden surveyed flood damage in the Carolinas, covering areas from Greenville, South Carolina, to Asheville, North Carolina, and received emergency response updates from officials in Raleigh.

The federal government is taking significant steps to aid the affected regions. President Biden declared that the federal government will cover all costs associated with debris removal and emergency protective measures for six months in North Carolina. Similarly, Florida and Georgia will receive full federal support for these costs for the next 90 days.

The impact of Hurricane Helene has been devastating, with storm-related deaths reaching at least 200 across several states, including Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. Many communities are still grappling with power outages, lack of running water, and impassable roads, and hundreds of residents remain unaccounted for.

On Thursday, Biden's first destination was Tallahassee, Florida, where he conducted an aerial survey of the damage on his way to Perry, Florida. The Big Bend area, where Perry is located, was particularly hard-hit when Hurricane Helene made landfall as a Category 4 storm last week.

Following his visit to Florida, Biden will travel to Georgia to get a ground-level view of the damage in Ray City. There, he will discuss what he has witnessed and outline the federal government's ongoing relief efforts.

On Wednesday, Biden announced that the Pentagon will deploy up to 1,000 active-duty soldiers to assist in delivering food and supplies to communities isolated by the storm in Georgia, Florida, and the Carolinas. Both the President and congressional leaders have indicated that supplemental funding from the federal government will likely be necessary to address the extensive damage and ensuing humanitarian crisis.