President Joe Biden travels to South Carolina to investigate Helen's aftermath and meet with McMaster

COLUMBIA, SC (WIS) – President Joe Biden is traveling to South Carolina on Wednesday to speak with state officials and assess the response to Hurricane Helene.

Officials said the president would travel to the upstate, which has been significantly impacted by Helene. The White House said he would arrive at Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport (GSP) around 1:20 p.m. before conducting an aerial tour of the affected areas.

It will also fly over parts of Asheville and North Carolina on Wednesday afternoon en route to Raleigh.

Gov. Henry McMaster said he plans to travel upstate Wednesday to brief the president on the state’s recovery efforts.

South Carolina worked with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to provide relief to residents affected by the storm, with several counties receiving federal funding, including Lexington, Newberry and Saluda.

The governor called the federal response to South Carolina’s storm recovery “superb.”

Hurricane Helene was called one of the deadliest storms in U.S. history by the Associated Press, decimating power and cell service in several states and contributing to more than 160 deaths in October 1.

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