North Carolina
LIVE: Harris visits North Carolina to survey Helene’s damage, provide update on relief
President Joe Biden tours Helene-damaged areas of Florida
President Joe Biden was in Florida Thursday to observe the damage left behind by Hurricane Helene.
WASHINGTON – Vice President Kamala Harris arrived in North Carolina on Saturday to survey the catastrophic damage wrought by Hurricane Helene and console communities amid ongoing recovery efforts.
“I’ve been seeing and hearing the stories from here in North Carolina about strangers who are helping each other out, giving people assistance in every way that they need, including shelter, food and friendship and fellowship,” Harris said during a briefing at the North Carolina Air National Guard, according to a White House pool report.
Harris, the 2024 Democratic presidential nominee, met with officials Saturday where she received updates on recovery efforts for the area and announced that Mecklenburg County, home to the battleground state’s largest city, Charlotte, had been added to the federal disaster declaration.
The vice president on her tour of the state is expected to meet with residents impacted by the Category 4 storm – which has killed more than 200 people and left thousands without power or drinkable water since it made landfall along Florida’s Big Bend region on Sept. 26. Harris is also scheduled to provide updates on the federal emergency response efforts in North Carolina and other states in the Southeast.
Her visit comes exactly one month ahead of the 2024 presidential election, in which she is locked in a tight race against former President Donald Trump. North Carolina is viewed as a pivotal swing state, and the speed and effectiveness of Biden administration’s response efforts could have ramifications on the race.
Trump has also visited disaster-struck regions in Georgia, Florida and North Carolina over the last few days.
Upon arriving to Charlotte Douglas International Airport, Harris was greeted on the tarmac by North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, Attorney General and gubernatorial hopeful Josh Stein, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell, Rep. Alma Adams, D-N.C., Rep. Jeff Jackson, D-N.C., and Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles.
Catch up with the USA TODAY Network’s latest updates.
President Joe Biden urged members of Congress to replenish critical disaster relief programs that have run out of money, or that soon could run out.
In a Friday night letter to congressional leaders, Biden warned that the Small Business Administration’s disaster loan program is set to run out of funds in a matter of weeks. He also said the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s disaster relief funds could face a shortfall by the end of the year. Biden called on Congress to restore funding and provide FEMA with additional resources.
Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson has suggested Congress can wait until after the election to pass Hurricane relief measures.
– Karissa Waddick
As search and rescue teams continue to examine stream beds and debris piles across North Carolina, Georgia, South Carolina and Tennessee, the toll of lives lost in Helene’s horrific flooding mounts daily. At least 214 people have died as a result of the storm. Hundreds are still missing and officials expect the number to rise.
But already Helene is the fourth deadliest landfalling hurricane in the mainland U.S. since 1950. It ranks behind Hurricane’s Katrina (2005), Audrey (1957 and Camille (1969).
– Dinah Voyles Pulver
Donald Trump is expected to hold a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on Saturday. The former president will return to the venue where he first survived an assassination attempt in July.
Trump held a campaign rally in Fayetteville, North Carolina on Friday evening.
– Karissa Waddick
Disaster politics are a staple of presidential elections, and this year is no different. With just a month to go until the election, Donald Trump has sought to make Biden and Harris’ Hurricane Helene a focus of the campaign.
“There’s nobody that’s handled a hurricane or storm worse than what they’re doing right now,” Trump said to supporters Thursday night in Saginaw, Michigan.
Trump’s indictment has included falsehoods – he claimed that federal disaster money went to migrants and that Georgia GOP Gov. Brian Kemp had trouble reaching Biden, but neither were the case – and the 2024 Republican nominee for the White House has been accused of playing politics with disaster relief during his presidency.
– David Jackson
Kamala Harris pledged “long lasting” federal support to get residents and neighborhoods battered by flooding from Helene “back up and running” during a visit to Augusta, Georgia earlier this week.
“We’re here for the long haul,” Harris said.
The Biden administration has so far approved requests from Georgia, Florida and North Carolina for the federal government to fully cover the state and local costs of debris removal, search and rescue efforts, mass-feeding and other hurricane-related emergency response activities.
– Joey Garrison
For the first time in a long time, you can now enjoy a fire, outside, across most of North Carolina The North Carolina Forest Service says 81 counties, including Durham and Wake, have now dropped the open burn ban.
Posted
MOYOCK, N.C. (WAVY) — In North Carolina, Dominion Energy has filed for a rate hike with the North Carolina Utilities Commission that could result in an average $17 increase a month for residential customers.
“I think it’s horrible — it’s high enough,” said North Carolina resident Gina Connor. “Our Dominion Energy bills are high enough. And raising it right now, when the economy is already going through more increases. I just think they need to keep it safe. How about lowering it?”
Dominion Energy said the proposal reflects the rising cost of critical grid equipment such as utility poles, transformers, wires and cables, and that inflation has increased the cost of generating and delivering electricity.
“I think it’s ridiculous,” said Bill Morse, who lives in North Carolina. “They already overcharge for electricity with all the fees and the extras that they put on the bills. It’s like a never-ending grab.”
Dominion said it did not make the proposal lightly, “and we understand household budgets are feeling the impact of inflation.” It said it was trying to keep costs as low as possible while expanding programs to help customers manage their bills.
“Everything is going up, so your energy costs are going up, your food costs, your fuel costs, everything,” one woman said. “You know, it just snowballs. So yeah, it’s tough. And I don’t see any end in sight. I don’t see it getting better.”
The Commission will review the proposal and host public hearings for the community to voice their opinions.
Connor says lower the bills.
“Leave the prices alone,” Connor said. “Do what you can to decrease the prices and not increase the prices.”
Morse hopes prices will come down.
“It’s continuously increasing,” Morse said. “So there’s never going to be a pullback. They’re never going to reduce it. Once they get it you know they’re going to find a way to keep it.”
Dominion Energy points out that their current residential rate is 25% below the national average. The new rate would go into effect Dec. 1.
RUTHERFORD COUNTY, N.C. (WLOS) — A groundhog has tested positive for rabies in Western North Carolina.
Rutherford County Animal Control Services posted on social media on May 1 that the North Carolina State Lab of Public Health sent Animal Control Services the notification on April 29.
According to the post, the groundhog was in the vicinity of Oak Springs Baptist Church to the Rutherford County Airport of the Gilkey Township area.
There was no reported human exposure with the groundhog, the post said.
REOPENING DATE SET FOR HELENE-DAMAGED POPLAR BOAT LAUNCH
Animal Control Services said it was the first positive test for rabies in Rutherford County for 2026. The last positive rabies test confirmed by the N.C. State Lab of Public Health was July 3, 2025 That animal was also a groundhog from the city limits of Rutherfordton near the intersection of Alt U.S. 74 and U.S. 64 area.
The Rutherford County Health Director and Rutherford County Animal Control Services is advising residents to be sure that their animals are under their direct control. Animals that are allowed to wander or run loose are at a greater risk of coming into contact with rabid animals, the post said.
Residents’ pets with rabies vaccinations not up to date and that are exposed to a rabid animal will have to be euthanized or placed in a strict supervised quarantine at the owner’s expense for up to four months, Animal Control Services said in the post.
If residents’ pets have up-to-date vaccinations, the pets will need a booster vaccine if exposed to rabies.
RUTHERFORD COUNTY RESIDENTS DEMAND CHANGE AMID RISING ANIMAL CRUELTY CLAIMS
During the next six months anyone living in the Gilkey Township area should watch for animals with unusual behavior and be sure all pets have current rabies vaccinations. North Carolina State law requires that all cats and dogs have rabies vaccines at four months of age, a booster 12 months after the initial rabies vaccine and then a booster vaccine every three years.
All local veterinarians offer rabies vaccines. Rutherford County Animal Control Services also offers rabies vaccines., including low cost rabies vaccine clinics, which are available on the first Tuesday every month from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. (no appointment needed) for $5 per vaccine.
Anyone seeing an animal displaying abnormal behaviors should call Animal Control Services at 828-980-0016.
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