Vice President Kamala Harris embraced families as she surveyed storm damage in Georgia on Wednesday, offering residents comfort in the aftermath of the devastation of Hurricane Helene .
The Democratic vice presidential nominee traveled to Augusta, where she toured a Red Cross relief center, met with local officials, passed out food, and delivered remarks on federal disaster support, according to the Associated Press .
“The president and I have been paying close attention from the beginning to what we need to do to make sure the federal resources hit the ground as quickly as possible,” Harris said, according to The New York Times . “That work has been happening.”
President Joe Biden was also in the Southeast on Wednesday, stopping in both North Carolina and South Carolina, about 200 miles away from Harris. “I’m here to say the United States, the nation, has your back,” he said, ABC News reported. “They’re not leaving until you’re back on your feet completely.”
The dual visits by Biden and Harris come the same day the president announced that he would deploy 1,000 active duty troops from the Defense Department to help with the distribution of food, water, and other supplies. The troops will assist the 6,000 National Guard members and 4,800 federal aid workers already assigned to relief efforts.