Almost 140 dead already

Hurricane “Helene” becomes a US election campaign issue

Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump tours downtown Valdosta, Georgia.

(Bild: ASSOCIATED PRESS)

The deadly storm "Helene" has become a political issue in the middle of the US election campaign.

Both Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and his Democratic opponent Kamala Harris took a look at the situation. Trump visited the hard-hit state of Georgia. The Democrat met with representatives of the US Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) in the US capital Washington on Monday evening (local time).

Trump directly attacked Harris and the government of US President Joe Biden. Biden was "asleep" and Harris was "campaigning somewhere and looking for money".

Trump speaks with the owners of a furniture store that was destroyed by the hurricane.

(Bild: APA/Getty Images via AFP/GETTY IMAGES/Michael M. Santiago)

Harris plans to travel to the affected region in Georgia on Wednesday. Biden is planning visits to North Carolina and South Carolina on the same day. The US President also wants to see the extent of the damage from the air. "As soon as possible", he also wants to travel to the states of Georgia and Florida, which have also been affected, according to the White House.

"Helene" claimed at least 137 lives
According to US media, "Helene" claimed at least 137 lives in six states in the south-east of the country. The death toll was particularly high in North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia. Georgia and North Carolina are among the so-called swing states that are particularly contested in the US election campaign. In these states, the majority of votes in past elections were sometimes cast for one party and sometimes for the other. The swing states will tip the scales in the presidential election on November 5.

Many are still stuck in their homes
"Helene" has left a trail of devastation in its wake with flooding and strong winds. Hundreds of people were still missing on Tuesday. This is also due to the fact that cell phone reception has collapsed in the affected regions. More than a million people are still without electricity and numerous roads are closed. Many people are still stuck in their homes without enough food. Some areas are so inaccessible that relief supplies have to be delivered by air, reported CNN.

"Helene" made landfall on Thursday evening (local time) as the second-highest category hurricane with wind speeds of up to 225 kilometers per hour on the Gulf Coast in northwest Florida. Later, "Helene" weakened to a tropical storm and moved further north over the Appalachians.