Biden approves more troops to move to North Carolina for Hurricane Helene response

Aftermath of Hurricane Helene in North Carolina

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden said on Sunday he ordered another 500 active-duty troops to move into western North Carolina and assist with the response and recovery efforts after the deadly and devastating Hurricane Helene.

"With a total of 1,500 troops now supplementing a robust on-the-ground effort – including more than 6,100 National Guardsmen and more than 7,000 Federal personnel – my Administration is sparing no resource to support families as they begin their road to rebuilding," Biden said in a statement.

He also said he was being briefed on tropical storm Milton as it strengthened across the Gulf of Mexico.

(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Mark Porter)