Trump visits North Carolina after Hurricane Florence: ‘We’re ready to do whatever we have to'

Local officials have asked that the president keep on supporting impacted areas in the months ahead as recovery gets underway

President Donald Trump has visited North and South Carolina to reassure residents that the government is doing everything it can to help following the devastation brought by Hurricane Florence, which hit the coast last week and brought torrential rains to the region which has caused major flooding

Mr Trump promised after landing on Wednesday to make sure that officials in North Carolina have all of the support that they need to continue their rescue and response operations, and that he would make sure the state continues to receive help as it begins to rebuild.

“We’re ready … To do whatever we have to do to make this perfect,” Mr Trump said during a briefing with state and local officials at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point in eastern North Carolina. “Nearly 20,000 federal and military personnel are supporting response efforts. More than 1.6 million meals have been delivered.”

The president said that Florence – which made landfall on Friday in North Carolina as a Category 1 hurricane before coming to a virtual stall over the US east cost – was “one of the most powerful and devastating storms ever to hit our country”.

“Our hearts break for you. God bless you. We will never forget your loss. We will never leave your side,” Mr Trump said. “We are 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.”

Since landfall, Florence has dropped torrential rains, leading to hundreds of emergency rescues in places like New Bern, which was one of the first parts of North Carolina to be hit hard by the storm.

The official death toll from the hurricane has reached at least 37 .

As this week progressed, heavy flooding persisted – and officials on Wednesday continued to warn that flooded rivers continue to crest – and sunshine found its way to the state. What it showed was lingering debris from the storm, and the floodwaters that surrounded homes and businesses in the area.

“Our state took a gut punch, Mr President, and our people are still reeling,” North Carolina governor Roy Cooper said during the briefing in eastern North Carolina.

He continued to note the magnitude of the challenge ahead of his state.

“We have a lot of power that has been restored but there are thousands of people that are still waiting to get their power back. I know that this state has a great economy, a great education,” Mr Cooper said. “We are a beacon in the south and we have weathered storms before in our state but Mr President we have never seen one like this. This one has been epic, it has been disastrous, and it has been widespread. It is a storm like no other.”

Workers in the state are rushing to get power back in the state for the quarter of a million people who lost their connections last week. It may be a while before the total cost of the storm is known – and, of course, how long the recovery process may extend.

In South Carolina, Mr Trump said the state is in for a “rough few days” in the aftermath of Florence. The president spoke at an emergency management centre in the city of Conway, near Myrtle Beach.

He told South Carolina residents that “all that water is coming your way.”

Soon after the storm hit into the Carolinas, Moody’s Analytics estimated that the storm could leave an estimated $17bn to $22bn in damages, or higher. That firm indicated that Florence was likely to be one of the top 10 costliest hurricanes in US history.

Reports from North Carolina indicate that residents view the president’s trip to the state as a sign that he is taking the storm seriously, and that he is prepared for a hands-on approach to righting the ship now that Florence is in the rearview mirror.

In New Bern, NPR reported that residents largely viewed Mr Trump’s visit in a positive light. Truck drivers told that radio station’s reporters that the trip shows that Mr Trump is on top of his efforts, and that he is going to be there with help when needed.

The region knows what it is like in the aftermath of a major storm, too, and some residents are now facing the potential for weeks away form home – just like they did after Hurricane Matthew in 2016.

As things stand, roughly 10,000 people are stuck in shelters following Florence, Mr Cooper said. “We are beginning the process of getting our feet under us, Mr President,” the governor said.