Fake guns found at home of 13-year-old who allegedly planned to scare students at elementary school: Police
(KENOSHA, Wis.) — Several replica guns have been recovered from the home of a 13-year-old who allegedly planned to scare students at a Wisconsin elementary school, but was stopped from entering the building, according to police.
The 13-year-old tried to enter his former school, Roosevelt Elementary School, around 9 a.m. Thursday, carrying a backpack and duffel bag, Kenosha police said.
The teen attempted to enter through other doors, but was not able to get in, Kenosha Unified School District Superintendent Jeffrey Weiss told reporters. He then approached the front entrance and was buzzed into a vestibule area. Two school employees confronted the student, who got nervous and then fled, Weiss said.
The suspect, who was taken into custody at his home on Thursday, has been charged with one count of terroristic threats, Kenosha police said.
In a search at the suspect’s home, police said they discovered several air soft replica handguns and a replica rifle.
No real guns were found, police said, and the suspect’s mother told authorities the teen doesn’t have access to guns.
The suspect told police he went to the school that day to sell candy, police said. The teen “later told a social worker that he went to the school with the intent to scare students,” police said in a statement.
The teen is expected to make his first court appearance on Friday, police said.
Police said the suspect looked up school shootings online and made comments to fellow students for weeks leading up to the incident.
“We narrowly missed a tragedy,” Kenosha Police Chief Patrick Patton told reporters at a news conference on Thursday, before police determined the guns were not real.
“I can’t stress … really how heroic our office staff was,” Weiss said, adding, “They helped avert a disaster.”
Kenosha is located about 40 miles south of Milwaukee.
(NEW YORK) — The storm surge, wind damage and inland flooding from Hurricane Helene have been catastrophic, flooding neighborhoods, stranding residents and destroying homes in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia and Tennessee.
Nearly 200 people have been killed. Helene, which made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend region last week as a massive Category 4 hurricane, has become the deadliest mainland hurricane since Katrina in 2005.
Here’s how the news is developing:
Hundreds of thousands still without power in the South
Hundreds of thousands of customers in the South are still without power nearly one week after Hurricane Helene made landfall.
More than 380,000 customers are in the dark in South Carolina and nearly 300,000 are without power in North Carolina.
Another 268,000 are without power in Georgia.
“This has been a historic storm. We’ve never seen anything like this,” Duke Energy spokesperson Bill Norton said. “The biggest challenge has been the unprecedented flooding. It’s not just poles and wires that are down — it’s the backbone of our system, the transmission infrastructure and substations.”
“We’re still targeting end of day Friday for the majority of our customers who are able to receive power,” he added.
Tennessee OHSA investigating reports people swept away during Helene
The Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration (TOSHA) has opened an investigation following reports that flash flooding from Helene swept away employees from Impact Plastics in Erwin, Tennessee, which is located in Unicoi County.
TOSHA and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation are working to determine what led to the “workplace fatalities” at the Erwin facility, the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce said in a statement.
In their evening flash update, TEMA has confirmed that four people have died due to weather-related injuries, and six people remain missing in Unicoi County. Authorities have not confirmed how many fatalities and missing people are associated with Impact Plastics.
VP Kamala Harris thanks officials for recovery efforts
Ahead of a Wednesday briefing in Augusta, Georgia, Vice President Kamala Harris thanked officials for their work in the post-Hurricane Helene response and recovery efforts.
In her remarks, Harris thanked “all of the folks who are here on the ground doing this extraordinary work.”
“I’ve been reading and hearing about the work you’ve been doing over the last few days, and I think it really does represent some of the best of what we each know can be done, especially when we coordinate around local, state and federal resources, to meet the needs of people who must be seen, must be heard,” she said.
“These are very difficult times, and in a moment of crisis, I think that really does bring out the best of who we are. And you, each, epitomize that important and good work,” Harris added. “So, I’m here to thank you and to listen.”
Number of missing people still unknown in Buncombe County, NC
The number of people missing in Buncombe County, North Carolina, is still unknown, according to county manager Avril Pinder.
Pinder was unable to provide even an estimate of the number of people unaccounted for on Wednesday.
As of Wednesday, there are still 57 people confirmed dead in the county.
Asheville City Schools have minimal damage, but most are still with power and water, and a large number of employees remain unaccounted for, Pinder said.
1.2 million customers still without power in some southern states
As recovery efforts from Hurricane Helene’s catastrophic force continue, 1.2 million customers are still without power in some southern states.
As of Wednesday at 12:30 p.m., 1,276,750 customers are without power across the South, according to poweroutage.us.
The hardest-hit states are South Carolina with over 484,410 customers without power, North Carolina with over 343,632 customers without power and Georgia with over 354,418 customers without power.
Outages are also reported in Florida (40,724 customers), Virginia (40,184 customers) and West Virginia (13,382 customers).
Helene death toll rises to 177
The confirmed death toll for Hurricane Helene rose to at least 177 people as of Wednesday, The Associated Press reported, as recovery efforts continue across the Southeast.
President Joe Biden will travel to North and South Carolina on Wednesday to survey the destruction while rescuers continue their search for the missing. Vice President Kamala Harris will travel to Georgia, which was also badly affected.
“We have to jump start this recovery process,” Biden said Tuesday. “People are scared to death. This is urgent.”
-ABC News’ Jessica Gorman
Biden deploying up to 1,000 active-duty troops to support NC National Guard
President Joe Biden announced Wednesday he has directed the deployment of “up to one thousand active-duty soldiers to reinforce the North Carolina National Guard.” The announcement comes as Biden will travel to South Carolina and North Carolina Wednesday to survey the impacts of Hurricane Helene.
“These soldiers will speed up the delivery of life-saving supplies of food, water, and medicine to isolated communities in North Carolina — they have the manpower and logistical capabilities to get this vital job done, and fast. They will join hundreds of North Carolina National Guard members deployed under State authorities in support of the response,” Biden said in the statement.
“Hurricane Helene has been a storm of historic proportion. My heart goes out to everyone who has experienced unthinkable loss. We are here for you — and we will stay here for as long as it takes,” Biden added.
The White House fact sheet says the soldiers will “support the delivery of food, water, and other critical commodities,” to impacted communities. The fact sheet adds the deployment is effective immediately. The soldiers are part of the Infantry Battalion Task Force based in Fort Liberty, North Carolina, and includes a Forward Support Company, according to the administration.
-ABC News’ Michelle Stoddart
1.3 million customers still without power in some southern states
As recovery efforts from Hurricane Helene’s catastrophic force continue, 1.3 million customers are still without power in some southern states.
As of Wednesday morning, 1,309,419 customers are without power across the South, according to poweroutage.us.
The hardest-hit states are South Carolina with over 493,000 customers without power, North Carolina with over 347,000 customers without power and Georgia with over 372,000 customers without power.
Outages are also reported in Florida (40,012 customers), Virginia (44,999 customers) and West Virginia (10,968 customers).
Helene death toll rises to 166
The confirmed death toll for Hurricane Helene rose to at least 166 people as of Wednesday, The Associated Press reported, as recovery efforts continue across the Southeast.
President Joe Biden will travel to North and South Carolina on Wednesday to survey the destruction while rescuers continue their search for the missing. Vice President Kamala Harris will travel to Georgia, which was also badly affected.
“We have to jump start this recovery process,” Biden said Tuesday. “People are scared to death. This is urgent.”
-ABC News’ Jessica Gorman
Bipartisan senators call on Congress to address Hurricane Helene damage
In a joint letter released Tuesday, Senate leaders Chuck Schumer, Mitch McConnell and several other senators on both sides of the political aisle called on Congress to meet following the devastation of Hurricane Helene.
“Although the true level of devastation is still unfolding, it is clear that Congress must act to meet the unmet needs in our states and address the scope and scale of destruction experienced by our constituents,” the leaders wrote in the letter.
The senators suggested Congress convene in October to “ensure we have enough time to enact legislation before the end of this calendar year.”
“Tens of millions of Americans were impacted by Hurricane Helene, and we look forward to working with you to provide relief to those impacted by this horrific storm,” the senators wrote
Bipartisan senators call on Congress to address Hurricane Helene damage
In a joint letter released Tuesday, Senate leaders Chuck Schumer, Mitch McConnell and several other senators on both sides of the political aisle called on Congress to meet following the devastation of Hurricane Helene.
“Although the true level of devastation is still unfolding, it is clear that Congress must act to meet the unmet needs in our states and address the scope and scale of destruction experienced by our constituents,” the leaders wrote in the letter.
The senators suggested Congress convene in October to “ensure we have enough time to enact legislation before the end of this calendar year.”
“Tens of millions of Americans were impacted by Hurricane Helene, and we look forward to working with you to provide relief to those impacted by this horrific storm,” the senators wrote
1.4 million customers still without power in some southern states
As recovery efforts from Hurricane Helene’s catastrophic force continue, 1.4 million customers are still without power in some southern states.
As of Tuesday evening, 1,469,304 customers are without power across the south, according to poweroutage.us.
The hardest-hit states are South Carolina with over 551,000 customers without power, North Carolina with over 367,000 customers without power and Georgia with over 422,000 customers without power.
Outages are also reported in Florida (57,054 customers), Virginia (57,255 customers) and West Virginia (13,399 customers).
Helene’s death toll climbs to 159
At least 159 people have been killed by Hurricane Helene in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia, The Associated Press reported Tuesday.
Death toll rises to 57 in Buncombe County, North Carolina
Buncombe County Sheriff Quentin Miller confirmed that 57 residents have died from the impact of Hurricane Helene.
Over 100,000 people remain without power in the county, Buncombe County Manager Avril Pinder said in a press conference Tuesday.
Water and meals will continue to be provided at several distribution sites in the county. Neighboring counties have stepped in to help and are now receiving overflow 911 calls from Buncombe County, Pinder said.
There are “miles of complete devastation” in Buncombe County, said Scott Dean, with the responding National Urban Search and Rescue team.
Officials said there are 19 federal urban search and rescue teams on the ground in the state, working to get to those who cannot leave their homes and to provide assistance. Local police and fire departments are responding to more accessible areas to answer calls.
Buncombe County and state officials are also discussing deploying and using mobile morgues in the county, Pinder said.
Biltmore Village no longer has standing water, but roads remain blocked from the devastation, which will continue to make it difficult to respond and remove debris from the Asheville neighborhood, said Pinder.
Dr. Jennifer Mullendore, Buncombe County’s medical director, said that the county is accepting donations of certain medications and providing primary health care to adults in need. The NC Board of Pharmacy is helping direct people to pharmacies currently open in the state.
Asheville Assistant City Manager Ben Woody reiterated that it would take weeks for water services to be fully restored in the city.
-ABC News’ Victoria Arancio
38 confirmed deaths in North Carolina, number expected to grow
There have been at least 38 deaths in North Carolina from Helene, Gov. Roy Cooper said in a briefing Wednesday afternoon, but he added he expects that number to grow.
Cooper spent Monday in western North Carolina and will be returning this afternoon, he said. First responders are continuing to rescue people and rush aid to the mountain communities.
More than 460,000 customers are without power down from a peak of more than a million, Cooper confirmed. There are more than 1,100 people being housed in 29 shelters and Cooper said he is still urging people to continue to stay off the roads.
“As heartbreaking as this damage has been, it’s encouraging to see the way people are working together,” Cooper said. “I talked with a number of first responders and medical workers and volunteers who have left their won families to take care of our communities.”
The National Guard currently have 800 guardsmen on duty with 275 vehicles. Almost 200,000 pounds of food and commodities were delivered out of the Asheville airport.
“I have committed to the governor that I will stay here until the event is stabilized and we will continue to bring in as many federal resources as needed, not just for the ongoing response, but as we move into recovery,” Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Deanne Criswell said.
-ABC News’ Alex Faul
Kamala Harris to travel to Georgia on Wednesday
Vice President and presidential nominee Kamala Harris will travel to Georgia on Wednesday to check out damage from Hurricane Helene, according to her office.
“Vice President Kamala Harris will travel to Georgia to survey the impacts of Hurricane Helene and receive an on-the-ground briefing about the continued recovery efforts that are occurring in communities across the state,” according to a statement.
The statement did not say exactly where Harris will visit. President Joe Biden is set to visit North Carolina and South Carolina on Wednesday as well.
Harris’ competitor in the presidential race, Donald Trump, visited Valdosta, Georgia, on Monday.
Helene’s death toll climbs to 139
At least 139 people have been killed by Hurricane Helene in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia, The Associated Press reported Tuesday.
That includes at least 40 people in Buncombe County, North Carolina, which includes the city of Asheville, local officials said Monday.
Public health emergency declared in South Carolina, Tennessee
A public health emergency has been declared in South Carolina and Tennessee in the wake of Helene, according to the Department of Health and Human Services, following the same declarations in Florida, Georgia and North Carolina.
“We will do all we can to help officials in South Carolina and Tennessee respond to the health impacts of Hurricane Helene,” HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said in a statement. “We are working closely with state and local health authorities, as well as with our partners across the federal government, and stand ready to provide additional public health and medical support.”
The Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response deployed about 200 personnel to assist local officials with the storm’s impacts to hospitals, nursing homes and other health care facilities, according to HHS.
The government’s National Disaster Medical System has already deployed 29 trucks filled with equipment to help patients in health care facilities, many of which were totally knocked off the grid.
6,300 National Guardsmen mobilized for recovery efforts
There have been more than 6,300 members of the National Guard mobilized to “support ongoing disaster relief, rescue, and recovery efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene,” according to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.
There will be guardsmen from 12 different states moving into the South to help, especially in North Carolina.
“We continue to stand by the people and communities of North Carolina and all those affected,” Austin added.
Over the past few days, the Department of Defense has mobilized personnel and resources to support ongoing disaster relief, rescue, and recovery efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. I am grateful to the over 6,300 Guardsmen from over 12 states, U.S. Northern Command, the…
— Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III (@SecDef) October 1, 2024
FEMA has delivered 1 million liters of water and 600K meals to North Carolina
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper called the impact of Hurricane Helene on the state “absolutely catastrophic” in a statement Monday.
“This is an unprecedented response and an absolutely enormous coordinated effort by the state, federal and local partners,” Cooper said.
Cooper, who inspected the staging area at the Asheville airport Monday, said “Hundreds of thousands of pounds of supplies are being flown in, packed onto helicopters and flown into areas that can’t be reached by vehicles.”
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has delivered 1 million liters of water and 600,000 meals to people in North Carolina, Cooper said.
The governor added that there are 92 search and rescue teams working to help bring residents to safety.
Biden says he’ll travel to North Carolina on Wednesday
President Joe Biden told reporters from the Oval Office he will travel to North Carolina on Wednesday to survey the damage.
He said he plans to land in Raleigh for a briefing and then do an aerial tour of Asheville to avoid straining on-the-ground resources.
He said he will visit Georgia and Florida “as soon as possible after that.”
Asked by ABC News’ Karen Travers how Americans can help out, Biden recommended people reach out to the Red Cross — and gear up for a long recovery.
“There is a lot to do, and this is just beginning,” Biden said. “We’ve been through this before, but not — not like this. This is the worst ever.”
Harris to impacted communities: ‘Our nation is with you’
Vice President Kamala Harris called the storm damage throughout the Southeast the “worst destruction and devastation that we have seen in quite some time” during remarks from FEMA’s headquarters in Washington, D.C., Monday afternoon.
“In coordination with state and local officials, President Biden and I will continue to make sure that communities have the support and the resources that they need — not only to respond to this storm and its immediate aftermath, but also the resources they will need to recover,” Harris said.
Harris said more than 3,300 federal personnel are on the ground to assist with recovery efforts, including deploying food, water and generators as well as helping to restore water and power.
“To everyone who has been impacted by this storm, and to all of those of you who are rightly feeling overwhelmed by the destruction and the loss, our nation is with you,” she said. “We will continue to do everything we can to help you recover and to help you rebuild. No matter how long it takes.”
Harris said she has spoken to Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper and plans to be “on the ground as soon as possible” without disrupting any emergency response operations.
Storm ‘unprecedented’ for western North Carolina
Helene is “an unprecedented storm” for western North Carolina, requiring an “unprecedented response,” North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said Monday.
“We’re dealing with a situation that is unlike anybody’s ever seen in western North Carolina,” he said.
The damage is “extensive and devastating” and is “going to require significant resources, both in the short-term and the long-term,” the governor said.
Ninety-two rescue teams are out conducting search and rescues right now, Cooper said.
More than 300 roads are closed and some bridges have been destroyed, officials said.
Over 7,000 North Carolina residents have registered for FEMA individual assistance and that money is already flowing in, according to Will Ray, director of North Carolina Emergency Management.
FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell promised that the agency will “be here as long as it takes to finish this response and continue through the recovery.”
“We have the resources here in North Carolina to help,” Criswell said. “We will continue to send additional resources in.”
Full extent of damage still unclear: Homeland security adviser
Homeland security adviser Liz Sherwood Randall said the full extent of the damage from the hurricane is still unclear.
“It probably will take several more days, as communities begin to be opened up by the debris clearance on the roads, and we can get in, and really understand what’s happened to them,” she said.
Sherwood-Randall said about 600 people are unaccounted for.
“We’re very hopeful that some of those people just don’t have cellphones working and actually are alive,” she said.
Sherwood-Randall said 3,500 federal response personnel have been deployed to the region and additional personnel is expected to arrive in the coming days.
With communication remaining a major challenge, Sherwood-Randall said, “Today, FEMA will install 30 Starlink receivers in western North Carolina to provide immediate connectivity for those in greatest need.”
She also highlighted that in states that have received major disaster declarations, FEMA is working to distribute serious needs assistance, which gives “an immediate $750 direct payment to eligible households, to allow them to pay for essential items like food, baby formula, water, medications and other emergency supplies.”
-ABC News’ Molly Nagle
Sen. Rick Scott calls for Senate to reconvene to pass emergency aid
Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., is calling upon the Senate to reconvene to approve an emergency aid package for victims of Hurricane Helene.
“While I know from my experience with previous hurricanes that FEMA and [Small Business Administration] damage assessments take time, I am today urging Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to immediately reconvene the U.S. Senate when those assessments are completed so that we can pass the clean supplemental disaster funding bill and other disaster relief legislation, like my Federal Disaster Tax Relief Act, needed to ensure the full recovery of families in all impacted communities,” Scott said in a statement Monday.
Any additional funding, beyond the funding approved by President Joe Biden and able to be drawn down from FEMA, would need to be approved by both chambers of Congress.
The Senate let out on Wednesday after approving a stopgap funding bill to keep the government funded through Dec. 20. The Senate is not scheduled to return until Nov. 12. The House is also out of session and would need to return to approve any aid.
-ABC News’ Allison Pecorin
How to help
Click here for a list of charities and organizations that are supporting relief efforts, including the Red Cross and Americares.
Trump visits hard-hit Valdosta, Georgia
Former President Donald Trump visited hard-hit Valdosta in southern Georgia on Monday to distribute supplies and “stand in complete solidarity with … all of those suffering in the terrible aftermath of Hurricane Helene.”
“Valdosta has been ravaged,” Trump said. “The town is, very, very badly hurting, and many thousands are without power. They’re running low on food and fuel. We brought a lot of it down with us.”
“We’ll continue to help until you’re bigger, better, stronger than ever before,” Trump said.
The former president held a “moment of silence and prayer” for those killed in the storm.
Twenty-five people in Georgia have died in the storm, Gov. Brian Kemp said.
Trump said he’ll also visit North Carolina as the state works to recover from Helene.
Biden plans to visit storm zone Wednesday or Thursday
President Joe Biden said Monday that Helene is “not just a catastrophic storm — it’s a historic, history-making storm.”
Biden said he will travel to the impact zone as soon as possible, ideally Wednesday or Thursday. He said he’s been told it’d be disruptive to visit immediately, and he does not want to interfere with these areas accessing the relief they desperately need.
“Communities are devastated. Loved ones waiting, not sure if their loved ones are OK, and they can’t contact them because there’s no cellphone connections. Many more folks displaced have no idea when they’ll be able to be return to their home, if ever, if there’s a home to return to,” he said.
“There’s nothing like wondering, ‘Is my husband, wife, son, daughter, mother, father, alive?’ And many more who remain without electricity, water, food and communications,” he said.
Biden said he’s directed his team “to provide every available resource as fast as possible.”
Biden vowed, “We’re not leaving until the job is done.”
Helene ‘spared no one’ in Georgia, governor says
Hurricane Helene “literally spared no one” in Georgia, Gov. Brian Kemp said Monday.
Twenty-five people in Georgia have died in the storm, Kemp said. The victims include: a 27-year-old mother and her 1-month-old twin boys, who died when a tree fell on their home; Leon Davis, an assistant fire chief from Blackshear, who died when a tree fell on his car while he was responding to a call; and a 7-year-old boy and a 4-year-old girl who died when a tree fell on their burning house, he said.
More than 500,000 customers in Georgia remain without power after Helene damaged over 5,000 poles, the governor said. Kemp said Georgia Power officials are calling Helene the most devastating storm they’ve faced.
Former President Donald Trump is scheduled to visit hard-hit Valdosta, Georgia, on Monday.
35 dead, hundreds unaccounted for in hard-hit Buncombe County, North Carolina
Thirty-five people are dead and 600 people remain unaccounted for in hard-hit Buncombe County, North Carolina, which encompasses Asheville, according to county officials.
County officials said people will go door-to-door to check on those who have been reported missing.
Shelters are at capacity, officials said.
The city of Asheville has partnered with Verizon to establish a temporary cellphone tower, officials said.
-ABC News’ Alex Faul and Jessica Gorman
600 people still unaccounted for in hard-hit Buncombe County, North Carolina
Six-hundred people remain unaccounted for in hard-hit Buncombe County, North Carolina, which encompasses Asheville, according to county officials.
County officials said people will go door-to-door to check on those who have been reported missing.
Thirty people in Buncombe County have been confirmed dead from the hurricane, the sheriff said Sunday.
Buncombe County remains under a state of emergency.
-ABC News’ Jessica Gorman
Helene remnants move into mid-Atlantic
After dumping more than 30 inches of rain on North Carolina and producing the biggest local flood in recorded history, the remnants of Helene are forecast to move on Monday into the mid-Atlantic.
As southeastern United States worked to clean up from Helene, some of its remnants are moving into Mid-Atlantic today with heavy rain forecast for West Virginia, Virginia and Maryland.
There is an elevated flood threat on Monday in Virginia and West Virginia, where the already saturated ground could get additional 1 to 2 inches of rain, which could produce flash flooding.
-ABC News’ Max Golembo
Harris planning visit to communities impacted by Helene
Vice President Kamala Harris intends to communities impacted by Hurricane Helene “as soon as it is possible without disrupting emergency response operations,” according to a White House official.
Harris, who was briefed by FEMA on the federal response to the hurricane, reached out to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp.
At a rally in Las Vegas on Sunday, Harris addressed those who were impacted by the hurricane by sending her “thoughts and prayers” and thanking first responders.
“I know that everyone here sends their thoughts and prayers for folks who have been so devastated in Florida, in Georgia, the Carolinas and other impacted states. And we know that so many have been impacted. Some have died, but I want to thank everyone for doing everything you can to think about them,” Harris said. “Send them your thoughts and your prayers. I want to thank the first responders who have done so much. I stand with these communities for as long as it takes to make sure that they are able to recover and rebuild.”
-ABC News’ Gabriella Abdul-Hakim, Fritz Farrow and Will McDuffie
Gov. DeSantis says power restored to all but 111K in Florida
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis shared a major update on power restoration progress in the state on Sunday.
DeSantis said a post on X that most customers who lost power after Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend area last week, have had their electricity restored.
The governor said power was back for 2.3 million customers, and 99% of the state has power.
He added that power remains out for 111,000 customers.
Biden intends to visit hurricane zone this week
President Joe Biden spent his Sunday evening receiving briefings on the damage from Hurricane Helene, and speaking to local officials from the impacted areas.
In a statement, the White House said Biden intends to travel to the impacted areas this week, “as soon as it will not disrupt emergency operations.”
Additionally, Biden spoke by phone Sunday with Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, Valdosta, Georgia, Mayor Scott Matheson and Taylor County, Florida, emergency management director John Louk, according to the White House.
The president also reached out to additional officials across North Carolina, Tennessee, Florida and South Carolina.
“In each conversation, the President received updates on response and recovery efforts, and he shared how the Biden-Administration will continue providing support to impacted communities – for as long as it takes,” the White House said in the statement.
-ABC News’ Sarah Kolinovsky
Trump to visit Valdosta, Georgia
Former President Donald Trump is scheduled to visit Valdosta, Georgia, on Monday to receive a briefing on the damage caused by Hurricane Helene, help distribute supplies and deliver remarks, his campaign said.
President Joe Biden said Sunday that the photographs showing Hurricane Helene’s damage are “stunning.”
When asked by reporters about his message to the victims, Biden said, “It’s tragic.”
“My FEMA advisor is on the ground in Florida right now. … We’re working hard,” Biden said.
Asked by ABC News if there are more resources the federal government could be providing, Biden responded, “No, we’ve given them. We have pre-planned a significant amount, even though they didn’t ask for it yet — hadn’t asked for it yet.”
-ABC News’ Michelle Stoddart
25 dead in South Carolina
Hurricane Helene’s impact on South Carolina has been “devastating,” and the storm has claimed the lives of 25 people in the state, Gov. Henry McMaster said Sunday.
“We don’t want to lose any more,” McMaster said.
Nearly 1.3 million customers lost power in South Carolina at Helene’s peak. As of Sunday afternoon, more than 800,000 customers remain in the dark.
The governor emphasized that power companies are working around the clock to restore electricity. Thousands of workers are on the ground, but downed trees tangled in power lines are delaying efforts, he said.
-ABC News’ Jason Volack
FEMA sending more search and rescue teams to North Carolina
FEMA Director Deanne Criswell said the agency is sending more search and rescue teams to western North Carolina, where residents are facing “historic” flooding from Hurricane Helene.
“I don’t know that anybody could be fully prepared for the amount of flooding and landslides that they are experiencing right now. But we have had teams in there for several days. We’re sending more search and rescue teams in there,” Criswell told CBS’ Face the Nation.
Gov. Roy Cooper described Hurricane Helene’s damage in western North Carolina as “catastrophic.”
“This unprecedented storm dropped from 10 to 29 inches of rain across the mountains, leading to life-threatening floods and landslides,” he said Sunday.
Water systems have been impacted and some roads have washed away, hampering the ability for officials to set up food and water distribution sites.
“We have sent bottled water in, but we also have the Army Corps of Engineers that’s getting ready to start assessments today to see what we can do to help get those water systems back online quickly,” Criswell said.
“We’re also moving in satellite communications, Starlink satellites, into the area to help facilitate the lack of communication that part of the state is experiencing,” Criswell added.
(WASHINGTON) — Housing costs are top of mind for voters across the country, as rising prices force many renters and potential home buyers to empty their pockets.
Nearly half of all renter households were cost-burdened by their rent in 2023 — meaning they spent more than 30% of their income on housing costs, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
And housing costs? They’ve outpaced inflation since the 1960s, rising 2.4 times faster, according to an analysis of housing data published by property advice site Clever Real Estate in March.
The study found that if home prices only kept pace with inflation, the median home could cost about $177,000 instead of the roughly $431,000 it actually costs.
Housing policy was mentioned during Tuesday’s presidential debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump, as Harris touted her newly released policy proposals several times.
“We know that we have a shortage of homes and housing, and the cost of housing is too expensive for far too many people,” she said.
When it comes to housing and rent, here’s a look at the policies Harris and Trump have signaled support for if elected in November.
Harris’ proposals
Harris is calling for the construction of 3 million new housing units to address the supply shortage, she said, by proposing a tax incentive for companies who build units to be sold to first-time homebuyers.
The vice president’s proposal also includes a $40 billion fund to support local governments in “innovative methods” of building affordable housing that have proven to be successful, referencing the construction of housing units in Wake County, North Carolina.
She supports the Stop Predatory Investing Act, which is aimed at removing tax benefits for major corporate or Wall Street investors who acquire large numbers of single-family rental homes and mark up prices.
Harris also backs the passage of the Preventing the Algorithmic Facilitation of Rental Housing Cartels Act, which would prohibit the use of algorithmic systems to artificially inflate the price or reduce the supply of leased or rented residential dwelling units.
Additionally, Harris plans to provide $25,000 in down payment support for first-time home buyers, with expanded support for first-generation home owners.
Trump’s proposals
Trump has promised to eliminate certain regulations on the construction of new homes, which he says will help with the cost.
The former president did not say which specific regulations he hopes to eliminate. During his term as president, he signed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act in 2017, which lowered the corporate tax rate and created Opportunity Zones, in which people can invest in low-income areas and temporarily defer tax on eligible gains.
Trump also plans to open up portions of federal land for large-scale housing construction.
“These zones will be ultra-low tax and ultra-low regulation,” he said in a Q&A at The Economic Club of New York on Sept. 5.
Trump claimed that undocumented immigrants are behind the rise in housing costs in his policy proposals and speeches, adding that he would ban mortgages for undocumented people. Researchers and officials have attributed rising housing costs to high interest rates, the housing shortage, rent gouging and an increase in construction costs and supply chain constraints to the rising costs.
Trump’s Agenda47, which outlines his plans if he’s elected in November, also notes that he intends to “promote homeownership through Tax Incentives and support for first-time buyers.”
(NEW YORK) — One of the last messages sent from the doomed Titan submersible during its June 2023 voyage to the Titanic wreckage was “all good here,” according to a presentation from a U.S. Coast Guard hearing on the deadly implosion.
The Marine Board of Investigation for the U.S. Coast Guard’s two-week hearing into the incident began on Monday, 15 months after the OceanGate vessel catastrophically imploded during its deep-sea voyage, killing all five people aboard.
An animation created by the Coast Guard during the Monday hearing showed the text communications between the Titan and the surface vessel, Polar Prince, as the submersible descended toward the ocean floor on June 18, 2023. The short text messages were the only means of communication between the Titan crew and the personnel on the Polar Prince as the vessel attempted to reach the Titanic, which sits 3,800 meters below sea level.
At approximately 2,274 meters, the Titan sent the message, “All good here,” according to the animation.
The last communication from the submersible was sent at approximately 3,341 meters: “Dropped two wts,” meaning drop weights, according to the Coast Guard.
All communications and tracking from the submersible to Polar Prince were lost at 3,346 meters, according to the Coast Guard.
Debris from the Titan was found on the ocean floor four days later. All five crew members — including OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush — were determined to have died in a catastrophic implosion.
The Coast Guard released a new image during the hearing Monday that shows Titan debris, including the tail cone, at the bottom of the ocean.
Tym Catterson, a former contractor for OceanGate, testified during Monday’s hearing that there were “no red flags” on the day of the incident. He said he believes the intention of shedding the two 35-pound weights was to slow the vessel down as it approached the ocean floor. He thought the weight was dropped a little early than is typical — not due to any emergency but to ensure a smooth landing, he said.
“Considering who was in the cab with Stockton at that particular time — there are two billionaires in there with him — I would absolutely guarantee that he’s trying to make sure that this just goes as absolutely perfect and spot-on as he can,” Catterson said.
He said when the tracking and communications were lost, the initial thought was that the transponder failed. When rescuers heard banging noises during their search for the vessel, he said they believed the vessel was drifting.
“This was all theories that were just flying around between people that were totally without sleep and very anxious,” he said. “It’s the worst thing that could be happening.”
Two witnesses say they wouldn’t go in the Titan
Some two dozen witnesses are scheduled to testify during the two-week hearing.
The hearing’s first witness — Tony Nissen, OceanGate’s former engineering director — testified that he was kept in the dark and didn’t know that OceanGate’s goal when he was initially hired was to go to the Titanic.
Asked whether he felt comfortable going down to the Titanic in the submersible, Nissen responded that Rush had asked him to be the pilot to run the Titanic missions, and he turned him down.
“I told him, I’m not getting in it,” Nissen said. “He asked me why, and I said, ‘Because the operations crew, I don’t trust them.'”
“He said, ‘Well, what if I’m mission director?'” Nissen continued. “I said, ‘You still have the same operations crew.’ But I didn’t trust Stockton either. Take a look at where we started and when I was hired, nothing that I got was the truth.”
Catterson also testified that he would not have felt comfortable going to the depths of the Titanic wreckage in the Titan, saying he had questions about the integrity of its carbon fiber and titanium construction.
“I don’t believe that the composites are the correct material for a pressure vessel that’s experiencing external compression,” he said. “I had my doubts.”
When asked if he ever voiced his concerns to OceanGate employees, he testified that he told Rush, Nissen and David Lochridge, the former OceanGate operations director — “pretty much anybody that would listen.”
Catterson said he had raised the issue about the integrity of the carbon fiber hull with Rush “no less than half a dozen” times. He said he thought the sub was “underbuilt” and that Rush responded to his concerns by saying, “I have several engineers working on this and they say otherwise.”
The company’s former finance director, Bonnie Carl, a former contractor for OceanGate, testified Monday that she was aware of a conversation between Lochridge and Renata Rojas, a mission specialist, when Lochridge told Rojas not to go on the Titan, warning that it was “unsafe.”
Titan not classified
It is common for submersibles to get classification, but both Catterson and Nissen testified that the Titan had not been classified. Catterson talked about recommending classification for it to Rush.
“The reason for the classification is basically that it’s proof of due diligence. It’s also primarily one of the ways that you can get insurance for the submersibles. That’s one of the very big things,” he said. “I had explained this to [Rush], and he, well, I guess that wasn’t as big of a worry for him as it would be for most people. I don’t know, I said my piece.”
According to a Coast Guard presentation during Monday’s hearing, the Titan was tested to 1.09 times its operating pressure — the industry standard is 1.25 times.
Issues with sub
The Coast Guard and witnesses detailed issues and concerns with the sub.
The vessel had 70 equipment issues in 2021 that needed correcting, and 48 more in 2022, according to the Coast Guard.
The Titan partially sank four weeks before the incident following a night of high seas and fog, according to the Coast Guard. Days before the implosion, passengers slammed against the vessel during resurfacing, the Coast Guard said.
Nissen testified that he believes the Titan was struck by lightning in April 2018.
“That is a difficult thing to prove, except I had to drag a lot of my engineering team down there to replace all the electronics in it. And I could find all the lightning traces. So it took high energy for sure,” he said.
He testified that he wouldn’t sign off on a dive to the Titanic in July 2019 due to a crack in the hull, and said he was subsequently fired.
Carl said she was concerned about some of the employees working on OceanGate submersibles.
“There were some young engineers — and by young, I mean late teens, early 20s — without any experience, we were aware of, wrenching on the sub, and without supervision right there on them,” she said. “And that made me nervous.”
Hearing to last two weeks
The hearing is scheduled to run through Sept. 27. Former OceanGate employees scheduled to testify later in the hearing include Lochridge; co-founder Guillermo Sohnlein; and Steven Ross, former scientific director, according to a schedule released by the Coast Guard.
The main purpose of the hearing is to uncover the facts related to the implosion and to make recommendations, according to Jason Neubauer, chair of the Marine Board of Investigation.
“The Marine Board’s investigation will determine as closely as possible the factors that contributed to the incident, so that proper recommendations for the prevention of similar casualties may be made,” Neubauer said at the start of Monday’s hearing.
The investigation will also examine whether there is any evidence of misconduct or criminal acts in connection with the incident, he said.
The National Transportation Safety Board is also investigating the implosion and will make its own determination as to the probable cause, according to Marcel Muise, an investigator with the agency’s Office of Marine Safety.
Attorneys with the firm Debevoise & Plimpton, which represents OceanGate, are also attending the hearing.
“There are no words to ease the loss endured by the families impacted by this tragic incident, but we hope that this hearing will help shed light on the cause of the tragedy and prevent anything like this from happening again,” Jane Shvets with Debevoise & Plimpton said during opening remarks.
In addition to Rush, those killed in the implosion included French explorer Paul Henri Nargeolet, British businessman Hamish Harding, Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son, Suleman.
The submersible company suspended all exploration and commercial operations after the deadly implosion.