MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, N.C. -- Air Force One landed on Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C., giving President Donald J. Trump a firsthand look at the destruction left behind by Hurricane Florence; using Cherry Point as a staging point to address the road to recovery, Sept. 19, 2018.
Trump met with local and state officials, senior military leaders, and disaster relief agency representatives in a large hangar on the Cherry Point flight line to discuss damage, post-hurricane conditions, and how the country would work to get Carolinians back on their feet.
“America grieves with you and our hearts break for you,” said Trump, during a round table discussion. “To all those impacted by this terrible storm, our entire American family is with you and ready to help.”
Hurricane Florence hit the Carolinas on Friday, Sept. 14, with 90 mph winds and heavy, flooding rains – claiming the lives of 36 people, so far.
“We have weathered storms before,” North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper stated as he spoke to the president. “Mr. President, we have never seen one like this before.”
After the roundtable discussion, the president toured damaged areas of Craven County, distributing goods from a church in New Bern, N.C., to community members effected by the destructive storm.
In addition to people in both Carolinas still dealing with travel restrictions due to flooded roads and houses, there are still a reported quarter-million homes without power.
“Washington is with you,” said Trump. “We are all with you 100 percent and we’ll get through it.”