Trump pledges support to storm victims
President Donald Trump sought to offer comfort Wednesday to families who suffered losses in Hurricane Florence, declaring “America grieves for you” as he arrived in North Carolina to survey damage left by the powerful storm.
Trump pledged to be with storm victims “100 per cent” as they recover from Florence, which dumped torrential rains and caused heavy flooding that has required a massive recovery effort by state, federal and local officials.
The president travelled south Wednesday as the region continues to grapple with the aftermath of a storm that North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said was “epic.” The death toll has climbed to at least 37 in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia since Florence made landfall on Friday.
At Trump’s first stop, Cooper briefed the president at a Marine Corps air station that sits among areas hardest hit by Florence. The governor asked for help “cutting red tape” to get his state the federal assistance it will need to recover. He noted that farmers suffered significant losses and scores of people lost their homes. Some 10,000 people remain in shelters.
“We will be there 100 per cent,” said Trump, wearing a wind breaker and khaki pants, seated inside a hangar with federal and state officials. “All of the folks from the federal government that are around the table are confirming it.”
Trump praised first responders and offered comfort to residents who suffered losses in the storm, saying: “To the families who have lost loved ones, America grieves with you, and our hearts break for you. God bless you. We will never forget your loss, we will never leave your side. We’re with you all the way.”
“And to all those impacted by this terrible storm, our entire American family is with you and ready to help. And you will recover,” he said.
The grim aftermath of Florence presented a challenge for a president who has struggled at times to show empathy in moments of national tragedy.
In a video posted on social media the day before his trip to the region, Trump praised first responders, offered prayers for victims and declared the storm “one of the wettest we’ve ever seen from the standpoint of water.”
In North Carolina, where thousands of people remain in shelters or are staying elsewhere, Cooper has urged patience, noting that roads remain treacherous and some are still being closed for the first time. On Tuesday in Wilmington hundreds of people waited in long lines for water and other essentials.
“I know for many people this feels like a nightmare that just won’t end,” Cooper said.