USA Biden: Reconstruction after storm "Helene" will take a long time

In view of the devastation caused by storm "Helene" in the south-east of the USA, President Joe Biden has promised help with reconstruction. "Rebuilding will take a long time," Biden said in a statement released by the White House.

"But you can be assured that my administration will be by your side every step of the way." He said he wanted to ensure that families, businesses, schools, hospitals and communities could begin rebuilding quickly.

"Helene" made landfall on Thursday evening (local time) as the second-highest category hurricane with sustained wind speeds of up to 225 kilometers per hour in the Big Bend region in the state of Florida. The hurricane then weakened to a tropical storm and moved further north over the Appalachian Mountains. There it caused severe and still dangerous flooding and landslides.

US media reported more than 50 deaths in the states of Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia as a result of the storm. The death toll is expected to rise further. On Saturday, more than two million households were still affected by power outages, according to data from the website poweroutage.us.

SDA