Biden says he plans to visit areas devastated by Helene in North Carolina "later this week"

President Biden on Monday said he plans to visit areas devastated by Helene "later this week," with specific plans to travel to North Carolina by Thursday, if the situation on the ground allows it. 

Addressing the nation and reporters from the White House, the president said he will likely need to ask Congress to pass supplemental funding to respond to the crisis across the Southeast. And the president said he may need to ask Congress to return to Washington, D.C., to accomplish that. 

Calling Helene a "history-making storm," Mr. Biden said "we will not do that at the risk of diverting or delaying any of the response assets needed to deal with this crisis" with a presidential visit.